On the Wings of Trust
by fetherhd
Summary: Cid Highwind and Vincent Valentine are two men who occupy totally opposite ends of the spectrum. Cid does not trust the demon ridden gunman. Valentine (and his arch demon, Chaos)do not trust ANYBODY! These three are about to get a lesson in trust from of all things...a dragon! This is rated M for Cid potty mouth and although it will eventually be a ValenWind, will not be explicit
1. Chapter 1

This idea was originally sparked by VinValen's AKA BeruthrielsCat wonderful short "Upon Ancient Winds" I had started it and then pulled it (along with all of my other stories) thinking to get out of writing fanfiction. Some very dedicated fans convinced me to re-post my finished works and now THIS one will NOT leave me alone. I will get the first chapters re-posted and then continue writing it. This story starts in the time frame of the game FFVII. It will carry through until after the events in DoC. There will be some portions of it that are a little off from the games as I am taking a bit of creative license. I will be doing the same thing with my less popular story "These Tangled Webs" after I do some re-vamping of it, so readers of that story do not despair. OH… and because I had so much fun with "Fire and Ice" this one WILL be eventually be a Valenwind!

This is a fanfiction, I make no money from it. Square Enix holds all rights to the FFVII world and its characters.

On the Wings of Trust

Chapter 1

"ASMODEUS' FLAMING BALLS… HOST….CAN YOU NOT HEAR THAT?! THAT SKY RIDING FOOL NEEDS TO FIND A PLACE TO SET THIS CONTRAPTION DOWN BEFORE HE BLOWS US ALL TO HELL AND BACK!"

Vincent tucked his chin a little further down into the high cowl of his cape. Mainly to hide the wince that twisted his lips into a tight grimace. The demon's admonishment was not needed. He most certainly could hear the high pitched whine that the starboard engine was making. The almost subliminal vibration tore at his enhanced hearing, burrowing into his aching head like a rabid rat. Lifting his good hand to pinch the bridge of his nose with slightly shaking fingers, the ex-Turk turned, with the intention of telling Highwind that he might want to check on the problem. A pair of blazing cerulean eyes slashing his way shut the quiet man's mouth before he could say a word.

"I can shitten hear it Vamp…Shinra musta gotten a lucky hit in. Soon as I got something fricken solid ta land on I'll put er down. Till then… you and the four in ya had better keep yer claws crossed and ask whatever fricken Gods that demons pray to…that she holds together. It ain't fucking pretty when a shitten rotor comes apart at speed."

The crimson cloaked man stiffened a little in outrage at the blonde's rather tasteless reference to his demonic burden but held his tongue when he saw the worry creasing the pilot's expressive face as the man searched his charts. Sharp ears picked up his softly muttered…

* * *

"Fuck! Where in Hades are they? There's supposed to be a Gods be damned island chain around here somewhere."

Cid ignored the itch that developed between his shoulder blades. He just KNEW that Valentine's hard ruby glare was trained on him…but hey as long as it wasn't the man's fricken gun…he just couldn't care less. The Captain had a shitten lot more to worry about then the fact that he might have overstepped and hurt the man's feelings. He could feel the damaged engine's unbalanced vibration through the helm and the engineer in him knew that they were running on borrowed time. Shit…the pilot didn't know why the ex-Turk was worried about it. Vincent had made it clear that he was only with them to exact some kind of revenge on the Shinra bastard scientist who had screwed with him. The man couldn't have made more clear the fact that he could care less about the rest of their scraggy asses. Hell….if the Highwind went down, the cold blooded bastard was the only one on board who could sprout wings and just fricken fly away!

These rather uncharitable thoughts stumbled and then tripped over themselves when a soft rustle of cloth and a surprising heat at his back told the pilot that the subject of said thoughts had moved up behind him. A ripple of gooseflesh ran over him as a warm breath stroked the back of his neck. Ah fuck…the demon ridden man could do some pretty spooky stuff…maybe he was a mind reader too! Cid made a concerted effort to seem unaffected as, for a second, the lean length of the man pressed against his back. Vincent stood that way for a long moment, studying the charts over the pilot's shoulder, totally unaware that his close proximity had the Captain's stomach doing cartwheels. As the raven head tilted and crimson eyes flashed up to look out over the sea below them, Highwind caught himself carefully inhaling the subtle scent of the man. For someone who seemed as cold as a glacial wind, the ex-Turk's personal smell was one of subtle heat. He smelled of sun stroked sandalwood, flesh warmed metal and the hot, almost spicy tang of gun oil mixed with gunpowder. The Captain could not stop the soft flush that climbed his neck as he realized that he found that tantalizing scent fascinating. What the FUCK?! HE was not in the least bit interested in men. This sky flying roughneck was a man's man! Cidney Highwind liked tight asses, long, shapely legs…(a very traitorous part of him pointed out the fact that Vincent probably had both of these…) and BOOBS. Yeah, that's right… this fly boy fucking LOVED big bouncing BOOBIES and Valentine sure as hell did not have any of those!

The broad hands that rested on the helm became white knuckled as Valentine shifted his weight forwards to tap the chart with a long golden talon which he then swept up to point. The man's mouth was right next to the Captain's head and the hairs on the back of Cid's neck stood to attention as that almost sultry voice caressed his ear like soft velvet.…

"They are there."

For a moment, the blonde forgot about the reaction the other man was unknowingly eliciting in his body. Blue eyes narrowed as he searched the bright water below.

"Gods be damned…where….I can't see them. I ain't got yer fricken Shinra enhanced eyes…"

The ex-Turk's leather gloved hand rested for a moment on the small of Cid's back and a subtle pressure caused the pilot to move away from it, turning so that Valentine was lining him up to look down that pointing gauntlet. The gunman patiently held the position as Highwind strained to see what those ruby eyes had spotted.

"FRICK…I just can't see em….gonna have ta take yer shitten word that they're there…"

It was hard for Cid to trust his ship and the people on it to the guidance of a man that he barely knew and really did not trust. Still, without hesitation, the Captain spun the vibrating helm.

"Hell… it's not like we got much shitten choice, that bitch of an engine ain't gonna hold out for fricken ever. You just sing out when I am pointed in the right direction."

His grudging trust was rewarded when the man lifted his hand from where it rested and deftly stopped the helm's spin as a smudge became apparent on the horizon. Without a word, Valentine stepped back and where his heat had been, suddenly seemed very cold. Highwind shifted his smoke to the other side of his mouth and turned to thank the man only to be presented with the swirl of a crimson cape as Vincent left the bridge. The Captain snorted softly… damned if the ex-Turk wasn't a fricken frigid soul. (for a second, the blonde wondered if the demon ridden man had room in there even to have a soul.) Oh well…Cid's attention turned back to guiding his foundering ship to the relatively safe haven of land….it wasn't his job to warm the man up.

The charts claimed that these small forested islands were uninhabited. Highwind had no reason to believe otherwise as he carefully maneuvered his craft down on a high plateau that overlooked a small crescent shaped cove. They could stay here for a day or two while he tried to put his craft back together with bubble gum , duck tape, and some good ole rough neck ingenuity.

* * *

Two pair of glowing eyes, watching from the cliff side, did not miss the encroachment into what they considered their personal airspace. A deep roar from the male challenged the airborne interloper and a softer rumble from his life-bonded answered as the mated dragon's communicated their displeasure to each other. This was an ancient breeding ground, chosen because of its remote location and the lack of competition from any elder of their dwindling species. These two were just adults, this was their first breeding and they were already on edge due to their lack of experience. The brilliantly colored pair watched in astonishment as the huge flying intruder landed on their territory without so much as a by your leave. The gleaming scarlet male, flared his wings but then re-folded them. (he would not leave his mate undefended even for a moment) With scrabbling claws, the angry beast launched his considerable bulk up the path that lead to the plateau above. The female flapped her wings in a useless bid for the sky, and then followed behind her bonded at a much slower pace. Both stopped before they topped the ridge to scope out exactly what they were dealing with. Their ancient ancestors had been some of the most intelligent creatures on the planet at one time. Diminishment (and a diet grown heavy and bloated with heavy metals, death and blood) may have severely reduced that formidable intelligence over time…but what was left in a few of the sad remnants of the great race, was a lot more than most humans gave them credit for.

Watching the intruding craft disgorge a multitude of dragon killing humans, AND having said killers traveling on THEIR path, heading for the warm beach sand that was her preferred place to sun herself, the heavily gravid female moaned softly in distress. She was earth bound due to the weight of the squirming live young she carried. This and the knowledge that a flightless dragon was a dead dragon when it came to battle had her hissing and backing slowly down the trail, back towards the beach. Her mate, caught between the instinct to take to the air in order to fight and the need to stay between his soon to be born brood and the threat, screamed his frustration as he snapped mighty jaws together. Flame scorched the air and the very ground seemed to shake as humans and dragon met and joined in a lethal dance as old as time.

* * *

And so we are off again. I almost gave up writing fanfiction because I could SEE that people were reading and just not bothering to take a moment and leave a comment or review. This made the considerable time and effort I put into these tales seem not worth it to me! NOW...having said this...there were a few readers who really worked at motivating me to put my stories back up and to get back to my writing. It is because of these readers that I WILL finish this tale and my other unfinished one "These Tangled Webs" Whether I go on to write the planned sequels to "To Race the Wild Wind" and to "The Orphans of Cerberus" will depend totally upon how many readers are willing to at least let me know they appreciate the effort. In other words...YOUR reviews and feedback are VERY important to this author!


	2. Chapter 2

Many of you who read this will notice that the story line will split in the next chapter and in essence it well seem as if two talesis being told here. Rest assured they will eventually come back together into one. This is a fanfiction, Square Enix holds all rights to the FFVII world and its characters.

On the Wings of Trust Ch. 2

Valentine had not intended to leave the bridge so suddenly. Since this rag tag group had coaxed him out of his coffin, the ex-Turk had worked very hard at keeping a discreet distance between them and himself. (NOT an easy task when it came to avoiding Yuffie! What was with that girl and her obsession with hugging?!) He had come by this aversion to touch honestly. For what had seemed an eternity, the only thing that he had experienced when he was touched by another human being, was unrelenting agony, fear, and humiliation. Just the thought of having someone else's hands near his body was enough to twist Vincent's stomach into knots.

He had moved uncomfortably close to Highwind only to see if he could spot what the pilot could not. After all, his eyesight was far better than anyone else's on board and if the engine didn't kill them, that horrendous sound it was making was going to make his brain squirt out his ears. It needed to stop….NOW!

Vincent had expected to have to step hard on his body's initial panicked reaction to the accidental contact when he leaned over the Captain's shoulder. What he had not counted on was how incredibly GOOD the man's strong back had felt where he unintentionally pressed against it as he looked over the charts. It took every bit of the self control that the gunslinger had, not to recoil violently at the heat that twisted its way through his core. The sudden, unwanted sensation that rolled through the cold and lonely wasteland that served as his soul had been….excruciating.

When Highwind had still not been able to see the smudge on the horizon that was so clear to his demon enhanced senses, Valentine had gritted his teeth hard enough to make his jaw ache and used his good hand to adjust the shorter man's position hoping this would help. It didn't. As he held the position, giving the blonde a few moments to look for their target, Vincent breathed a soft thanks that his leather glove and the Captain's thick jacket were between his actual flesh and the warm body that he touched. He knew that actual flesh to flesh contact would have overwhelmed the fragile balance he was maintaining between his sense of reason and the mind numbing fear that the physical contact was causing. As it was, he could still distinctly feel the play of powerful muscles in the small of Cid's back as the pilot turned the wheel, changing the airship's course. It was with great relief that the ex-Turk removed that hand to stop the helm's spin when the ship's nose was lined up in the right direction.

The gut twisting inner turmoil did not stop with this action though. Vincent knew that Highwind did not much like him. Who could blame the man? Valentine's actions as a former Turk, and the demons he now harbored put him squarely in the realm of being a monster. He had severely overstepped himself by invading the Captain's personal space and touching him. It had been impossible to miss how the man had stiffened when he had registered that touch. As the blonde turned to speak to him, the quiet man fully expected to see anger and disgust reflected in those vivid blue eyes. The thing inside of him that had been basking in the warmth that touching Cid had caused, froze solid again with an almost audible snap. The inner pain escalated from being just excruciating to a seemingly lethal intensity. It instantly obliterated any ability that the human mind within had to reason. It was an animal's instinct of self-preservation that caused Valentine's control to finally snap.

The ex-Turk backed away and his long legs carried him out of the command center before there could be any kind of confrontation. As the heavy door closed behind him, Vincent staggered and caught himself on the corridor's opposite wall. For a moment he just stood there leaning his forehead against the cool metal, sucking in great gasps of air. Gods…he felt ill…his chest hurt and if there had been anything in his stomach, it would have painted the walls. At least the unsettling, coiling heat was receding. As it dissipated, his usual cold control reasserted itself. Mother Gia…that had been truly unpleasant. Without thinking, the gunman queried his eldest demon as to what had caused such an imbalance to occur in the first place. For a moment he received nothing but blank astonishment back…then all of his demon's erupted into harsh laughter. Chaos was the one who choose to enlighten him as to the cause of their cruel mirth.

"OH THIS IS TOO GOOD…. HOST…ARE YOU REALLY SO TERRIBLY FUCKED UP THAT YOU CANNOT RECOGNIZE DESIRE WHEN IT REACHES OUT AND SMACKS YOU BETWEEN THE LE…AAH…EYES?

* * *

Cid was well aware that he would have to let the starboard engine cool before he could get on top to check the damage. Still…he was moving carefully along the airship's hull, under the now still rotor, when the first ear shattering roar reached him. He had a fine view of the great crimson dragon that hurtled over the cliff edge in a full out charge toward the small group that had been headed down to the beach. He was not to altogether concerned. The girls were being accompanied by Cloud and Red…he snorted softly when he heard the sharp crack of gunfire. Valentine must have been following along unseen, silently keeping an eye on the group. Shit…the way Highwind figured it, the beast was biting off more than it could chew. Then his sharp eye caught movement and a second, brilliant green head popped into view, its' glowing eyes focused intently on the raging battle. None of the warriors in the group gave any indication that they were aware of the second lethal threat. AH fricken HELL…the Captain spun and headed for the hatch.

* * *

The raging male backed slowly along the trail, trying to keep his failing body between the vicious humans and his mate. On the ground, although he was ten times as strong as his adversaries, he could not match their speed. One would leap in and strike with blade or bullet and by the time he could swing around they were out of range of teeth and talon. The Red shrieked his frustration as a nasty multi-bladed weapon spun past the vulnerable spot where his head joined his neck. He lashed sideways with a whip like tail to prevent the miserable swordsman from closing on his vulnerable flank while the smallest female danced back out of range. He got lucky and the very end connected, slamming the man to the ground. The long neck snaked around as jaws flashed open eager for the crunch of bone and spray of blood. Painful impacts ripped through the thinner skin of his unprotected side and the drake twisted around trying to put his armored chest and shoulders back into the gunner's line of fire. Vast wings snapped out, more to intimidate than anything else. The male had no choice but to stay on the ground. He was using his great bulk to shield the green and if he flew, she would be helpless against these warriors. Desperate… the great beast gaped, spraying flame in a large arc around him, trying to drive the gunner back or better yet, cook him where he stood. This male, who wore crimson as deep as the dragon was bright…caught him by surprise. The human stood his ground as flame flowed around him. A golden claw came up to protect his pale face as the inferno lifted the smoking cloak, causing it to rise around him like a pair of spread wings. The dragon felt the ripple of earth magic and ice suddenly crackled over the tall, slim form that faced him. Just for a moment his glowing gold gaze met the bloody crimson one over the barrel of the human's gun. Then its' sudden smoke and flame joined his own. Pain exploded in the drake's open mouth and throat as the gunman fired straight into his gaping maw. One bullet shattered his lower jaw, the other punched through the thin bone of his upper pallet and drilled through the base of his skull. The shock and agony caused the creature to convulse and he continued to flame as he instinctively tried to take to the sky. The fiery stream which usually channeled through a mouth built to contain it, back lashed through the gaping hole that the tumbling bullet had created in the thick skull. The last thing that the great dragon saw before his own fire incinerated his brain was the glorious form of his mate, mighty wings driving down in that all important first stroke as she did the impossible and lifted her pregnant bulk off of the warm beach sand.

* * *

Cid was cursing his smoking habit as he hauled ass towards the battle. He was close enough to see when Cloud got smacked down hard by the crimson dragon's whip like tail. The pilot was still to far out to be of any help, and he could only admire the grace of the unmistakable, lithe form of Valentine as he moved in close, using hot lead to draw the beast's attention, making himself a prime target. This suicidal move worked, the drake shifted its powerful body to draw a bead on the gunslinger, giving Yuffie and Tifa opportunity to drag the stunned swordsman to safety. Fuck…Highwind tried to get the breath to yell a warning, even though he was sure that the ex- Turk knew exactly what that wide agape muzzle and the stinging smell of accelerant meant as the dragon's head whipped around. In a split second, the crimson caped man was totally engulfed in a raging inferno. The running blonde found the breath to swear as he hit the wall of heat and had to change course to avoid being fricasseed in the dragon created hell storm. The thunder of gunfire told him that somehow, Vincent was still fighting. The air seemed to shake as the drake threw back its' massive, wounded head, spraying the sky with uncontrolled flame. It let go with a last horrendous gurgling scream and the ground did shake as its' convulsing form crashed into the sand.

Cid could not afford to slow down…he could see the heavy form of the green slowly rising into the sky, they could not let it get airborne. He sprinted the last hundred yards along the cliff face and leaped off, Venus gospel aimed at the narrowing of the wide back just in front of the shimmering green hips. He intercepted the rising beast just as it crested the bluff.

* * *

The female keened her sorrow as she felt her bonded die. The space in her mind where his fierce intelligence and courageous spirit had been joined with hers, was suddenly, achingly empty. Rage, mind numbing loss, and desperation powered her wings as she struggled to get her heavy body airborne. The green could feel the bright sparks of consciousness that resided in her respond with fear and then agony as the great muscles that powered her flight crushed her brood in a space already made too small by their growing bodies. HOLD…she called to them…. BE STRONG….! The mother was concentrating on the air beneath her wings and helping her children to endure, she did not see the small form that launched itself off of the cliff until almost too late.

At the last moment, the late afternoon sunlight flashing off of the silver head of the spear the man flourished, caught one glowing eye. The female twisted desperately, and instead of severing her spine, which was what the human intended, that wicked blade buried itself deep into her unprotected flank. The man had skill, strength, and momentum working for him. This drove the weapon through scale and muscle and into the chamber where her brood developed. Their pained and frightened mental screams as the bright intruder slashed its way through them was an agony far greater then the feel of the spear tearing a great, gaping hole in her side as the man held tight to its' wooden shaft and jerked it down and then out as he fell. His thrashing form landed in a heap practically under the now airborne queen. It was with a savage pleasure that the mighty jaws gaped, disgorging first her life's blood and then flame, as she exacted her retribution.

* * *

Valentine saw the compact form of Highwind go flashing by , but as he was preoccupied with the pain of scorched flesh and a reluctant demon, he paid him no mind. The Ice that he had cast had protected him to an extent but his face and more importantly his eyes had caught the worst of the blast. The gunman needed one of his "residents" to take over as he could barely see, but Chaos had balked, refusing for the first time to step out and take up battle in his host's place. To make matters worse, the eldest and most powerful of the demon's also prevented the others from doing so. Luckily, the shots the gunman fired off mostly out of instinct, hit their marks….and Valentine still had enough vision to make out light and shadow. He just managed to get out of the way as the dying scarlet beast crashed to the ground.

Blinking his tear streaming eyes furiously, the ex-Turk moved around the thrashing form trying to see if the others were safe. A heart twisting keen, and the thunder of mighty wings had him running towards the beach. Vincent skidded around the last bend just in time to dimly see Highwind crash to the earth. Another dragon frantically beat at the air, trying to stay in the sky. The fumes that preceded a flaming, burnt the ex-Turk's already damaged eyes and he reacted without thought. The green's fiery breath hit the Captain just before Vincent did. Cid's short sleeved tee burst into flame as the gunman whipped off his still damp cloak, wrapped the stunned man and then rolled his own body around vulnerable flesh, in essence, becoming a living shield. He could hear the man under him swearing in a panicked litany of words that should have scorched the air as bad as the fire was doing. The last of the moisture from melting ice evaporated out of the gunman's shirt and he had to clamp his teeth into tight lips to keep from screaming as it caught fire, melting into the burning skin underneath. The hissing, whisk, whisk, whisk, of Yuffie's conformer brought an end to the torture as the nasty four bladed weapon spun by to bury itself in the soft flesh under the dragons jaw. The fire stopped in a choked shriek and Valentine felt the ground jump as the monster peeled away and crashed to earth just at the low tide line. Jerking the smoking cloak off of the man he protected, the gunman rolled, twisting and wrapping it around his lean frame as he smothered the fire that danced on his back. He felt small hands beating at the flames on his arms and smoldering hair. As fear ripped through him he hissed…

"I am fine…see to Highwind!"

He heard Tifa's quick intake of breath as his brusque manner hurt her feelings, but did not care as she did remove her unwanted touch. Ignoring Clouds murmured…"HEY!", the gunman levered himself to his feet and let the Galian beast's other sharp senses guide him toward the safety of the ship.

* * *

Cid knew that he had missed his strike before he even reached the great beast. Instead of delivering a blow that would have incapacitated the monster, he slashed a long gaping wound in the thing's heaving side. The impact with the hard ground just about knocked him out and before he could recover, he choked on the overpowering smell of the gas that dragons ignited to flame. HA…wasn't that just ironic. He had escaped a fiery death when Shera had aborted his rocket's take off, just to be crispy crittered by a damned flying lizard. It would have been fricken funny if the man was not aware of how much this was going to hurt! The pilot had just enough presence of mind to hold his breath as the inferno hit him. There was no fricken way he wanted to inhale that shit. He felt his shirt ignite but before the pain could really register a heavy weight hit him. Cid gasped, but the heavy damp wool that was wrapped around his face prevented him from sucking in any flame. It did give him the air he needed to scream…

"MotherFUCKING overgrownSHITTEN lizardhopeyaFRICKENhiccup an blowyerselfta

HELL!"

The smell of burning flesh hit the pilot and he could feel the lithe form that was wrapped around his…shaking…Mother fucking Gia…Cid realized that someone was taking the heat for him…quite literally. The pilot heard the muffled scream of the dragon and suddenly the weight was off of him and the muffling cloth was ripped away. The man got a full breath of smoke that smelt of burnt cloth and flesh, then he was trying to cough his lungs up. He almost screamed when Tifa's careful hands tried to lift the charred shirt off of his back…he managed to grit his teeth and keep it to a growl.

"Gods be damned…woman…be shitten careful, my fricken skin is attached to that!"

Those gentle hands stopped…and the girl motioned for Cloud to come help him stand. Her voice was shaking a little as she apologized…

"Sorry Cid…we need to get back to the ship, I'll have to remove the burnt cloth before I can cast a cure."

As the swordsman helped him up, Highwind's blunt fingers closed on a scrap of burnt fabric. There was just enough of the original material left to be recognized as soft, black silk. The strong hand closed around it as cerulean eyes snapped up, looking for one who was missing.

"Where's Valentine…"

Tifa sniffed softly… "He did not want any help."

Cid slashed a look at the man who was helping him stagger up the trail…Cloud's mako blue eyes were full of concern as he just shrugged.

Highwind forced himself to stillness as the young women of the group carefully soaked and peeled the melted cloth out of his burns. He was slowly turning that little strip of clothe over and over in his hand, his large thumb occasionally brushing what he was sure was a strip of crisped skin that had adhered to it. As soon as Cloud had Cast a Cure and he could move without to much pain the Caption was on his feet and headed for the demon ridden man's quarters.

Tifa had said that the man did not WANT any help…she had not said that the enigmatic man had not NEEDED it.

* * *

The she dragon moaned softly…she was slowly dying. The humans had been preoccupied by their injured and had not come to finish what they had started. The green could feel the sting of salt water in her wounds as the tide started to rise. One long taloned fore-hand groped along her side until she could hook her claws into the edge of the gaping wound in her flank. With the last of her strength, the fading queen tore the wound wide, creating an opening large enough for those that were left of her squirming brood to slip out onto the sand. Normally, she and her mate would control the ravenous, highly territorial offspring, and as they grew, the pair would sing to them the proud history of their great race. A shining legacy that had been handed down from the very first pair of saurians. She had no time for this. As the first sleek, bleeding form tumbled out, the dying mother sang softly, giving her first born… a small pale female…what wisdom she could before her world faded to black.

The small one tumbled into the world and curled against her mother's strong side as a myriad of vivid images flowed through her young mind. When they suddenly faded and stopped, the little female's triangular head wavered into the air questing for the warm mind that had suddenly disappeared. All she found was the lithe forms of her brothers and sisters as they spilled forth onto the sand. Knowing that these, her siblings, were a true threat to life and limb, her small translucent wings flared or tried to, and the youngling squeaked as pain slashed down one side of her body. The sharp presence that had invaded their warm haven had slashed its' way across her left wing and side on its' way to skewering one of the others that had been intertwined with her. The wound that it had created burned across her ribs and shoulder. The wing tip on that side was a bleeding mess. The primary and secondary flight scales had been sheared off at the base by the sharp spear. As a deadly battle broke out on the sands between the hatchlings, the first born bated…trying to lift herself out of harms way. The good wing caught the air and she rose only to over balance as the damaged wing had no lift. The female flipped sideways into an incoming wave. A powerful under current caught the small struggling form and the little dragonet was sucked out to sea.


	3. Chapter 3

This is a not for profit fanfiction...I make no money from it. (I wish hehehe) Square Enix holds all rights to the FFVII world and its characters. I hold the rights to the original parts of this story line and to my original characters.

On the Wings of Trust CH. 3

Vincent almost made it back to the airship. He was injured badly enough that he could not move as fast as he normally would, even with his demon's dark strength. The heavy, usually comforting cloak, which he had thrown loosely over his shoulders in an attempt to hide the extent of the damage from the others, brushed lightly against the dragon burns. It felt like it was made of red hot sand paper rather than soft cloth. His agony was rapidly becoming overwhelming. The ex-Turk staggered and sank down to one knee, his body just flat refusing to listen to what he demanded of it. His good hand lifted, wanting to rub furiously at his burning, damaged eyes. It brushed hot, sticky tears or blood, as they streamed over his cheeks. His sight was gone, all that he could make out was shadow and light. That hand froze before it reached his eyes as Chaos interfered.

"DON'T… I CAN HEAL THEM BUT IT IS GOING TO TAKE SOME TIME…YOU GOUGING THEM OUT WILL ONLY CAUSE DELAYS."

The gunslinger, by sheer force of will, made the hand drop then he pushed himself back up. He needed to make it to the privacy of his quarters before he collapsed. Two staggering steps later Chaos again pushed to the front of his mind.

"VALENTINE….YOU NEED TO SIT AND REST FOR A MOMENT, IF YOU KEEP PUSHING YOUR BODY THIS WAY, YOU ARE GOING TO…"

Vincent had a moment to register concern…he must be in worse shape then he thought if the demon was addressing him by his given name. Chaos usually made it very clear that he considered the human an unwanted vessel and nothing more. Host… usually used sarcastically… was his title. The gunman managed a soft snort of amusement then… the world hazed away.

* * *

"…OH HELLS BELLS…FAINT"

Chaos hissed and he did not move fast enough to prevent his host from kissing the earth, he did manage to get the man's eyelids closed before abrasive sand could be ground into the mess that his eyes had become.

The demon did not hesitate…Valentine's misfortune was a blessing for him. Chaos picked himself up off of the ground, absentmindedly brushing the sand from his armor. He could hear the others coming up the trail. Stealth was needed for what he wanted to accomplish so the demon crouched to take off. He would pass above the returning humans, they were occupied with the injured so were not likely to look up. Great wings spread then snapped back shut as the dark one gave a surprised yelp at the pain of fragile burnt flesh tearing. He had forgotten that dragon flame could damage demon flesh. After all, although the blood ties were distant, they were kin.

Blinking in an useless effort to clear his damaged vision…Chaos stepped back into the shadows and using his birthright magic, he drew those shadows around his grey form, becoming invisible as the warriors passed him on the path. When they had moved on by, the demon shakily released the darkness. Damn, he did not feel well at all. He would have to get his task finished and return his Host to the air machine as quickly as possible. One of the side effects of a full exposure to dragon fire was phosphate poisoning. Most did not survive the initial flaming to experience this wonderful illness, but Valentine had taken a full dose of the fiery, gas ridden breath from two of the great saurians. THEY were going to get very sick before this was said and done.

It took the demon very little time to reach the carcass of the crimson drake. He had to let the Galian beast come forward so that they could use the wolf like creature's infrared abilities to find their way. His own flame seared eyes were next to useless. Climbing the huge body was more difficult and by the time the dark one was carefully perched on the mighty beast's armor plated breast he was panting. Prying up the edge of a diamond hard scale to expose the soft skin beneath, Chaos used all of his considerable strength to drive his hand deep into the dragon's still hot body. At first he found nothing and actually considered giving up. After all, very few of the Sky Kings, dragons that could trace there vaunted lineage back to the beginning of time, still existed. He was in almost up to his shoulder when his questing fingers brushed over a cool, slick sphere. A tingling shock ran up his arm, but the demon did not loose his hold on the precious object. Easing it out of its' cage of protective ribs, the demon shook the blood and gore off of the gleaming pearl and bringing it up to dark lips he whispered softly in a language long dead.

"I AM NOT THE ONE THOU WAS INTENDED FOR…BUT I MAKE THIS PROMISE TO THEE, IF I CANNOT PASS THE LEGACY ON TO ONE OF THY OWN BLOOD…IT WILL CONTINUE TO EXISTS WITHIN ME UNTIL THE VERY BREAKING OF THIS WORLD."

Chaos blew gently across the shimmering surface. The globe woke and for a brief moment iridescent colors ran over the pearlescent surface as it recognized dragon kin. The glow brightened, tendrils of power reached out, swirling around the demon lord's crowned head. Upon finding him a satisfactory receptacle, the ancient soul within bound the demon lord to his promise. The priceless pearl disappeared as it was absorbed into the hand that it was nestled in.

As the demon eased himself back down to earth, his sharp hearing caught an odd sound on the sea driven breeze. Cursing his inability to fly, the dark one ran for the beach. Dusk was darkening the horizon as he rounded the cliff and made his way onto the sand. Chaos found himself wading through eight inches of salt water as he neared the dead green. The two small forms that were perched on the carcass mantled their delicate wings and hissed at the approaching intruder. The hatchlings took to the air, winging away before he was close enough to try for a grab.

It was with a heavy heart that the great demon surveyed the killing field that surrounded the female's corpse. She had managed to give her young an opportunity at life. But without the adult's powerful minds and stable personalities to control the dragonet's territorial instincts…they had savagely attacked each other until all that was left alive was the dominant male and female of the brood. Regretful eyes peered uselessly in the direction that the babies had flown, wishing to see what direction they had gone. Without the knowledge and experience contained in the drake's spirit ball, the little ones would grow up to be little more than cunning beasts, IF they survived to grow up at all. Without the protection of the parents, the younglings had little chance in a world grown hard and cruel. The glazed golden gaze turned towards the female…unless… she had been able to pass her legacy on. Something that he seriously doubted after seeing the carnage all around.

The queen had died on her stomach. There was no way that he could get to her encapsulated soul before the sea claimed her. If she too was a Queen of the sky…all of the knowledge that her ancient line had passed forward from one generation to the next, would end with her.

A surprisingly gentle hand rolled each small, limp dragonet, hoping against hope that one had survived its' injuries. That hope died quietly and as the darkness fell, the sound of whale song drifted over the sea. Chaos looked out over the water and saw the great triangular fins of sea wolves cruising the deep, waiting for the tide to come up enough that they could get to the carrion. The demon turned and wearily made his way out of the surf, there was nothing that he could do here. Best to let the cycle of life and death continue as it had for millennium.

* * *

The littlest hatchling opened her mouth to scree her indignant anger only to have salt water flood in. The small sound was choked off and the dragonets' outrage at being dunked into the cold water became fear as the current rolled her along the sandy bottom. She managed to push hard with her hindquarters and get her head above the water in order to suck in a needed breath. Some trick of the wind brought the screams of her battling siblings to her ears before the current sucked her under again. This time when the female tried to kick up against the bottom her feet met empty water. She had been swept out of the island's protective shallow cove into the deep.

For a very long time it seemed, the hatchling fought for her life. The ocean was just as determined to take it away. Between the shock of her sudden, pre-mature birthing, the bleeding injury that leaked warmth and blood into the sea, the constant struggle to stay at the surface so she could breath and the life sapping cold of the water, the dragonet soon came to the end of her strength. Creeling her opinion of this hard cruel world one last time, she quit fighting and let the current take her under.

Without the sound of wind and wave, and the harsh gasps of her own breaths…the sea became a quiet place. If she ignored the bitter cold, the little female could almost pretend that she floated back in that quiet warm place, safe… with her mother's voice singing gently in her mind. Speaking of singing…the water was suddenly full of haunting melodies and rising and falling tones. Jewel like eyes opened…and the dragonet searched the shadowed water for the source of the song.

"Mother…?"

This was sent out plaintively with little hope of an answer, the small one knew that she would have to take a final drowning breath soon. Dark shadows moved through the cold water around her. Something warm and gentle stirred in her fluttering hearts and a soft voice sighed through her frightened mind.

"They are sea wolves…children of the tides. Sing to them chosen daughter, they were the allies of dragon kind in times past. They may yet answer."

"Mother!?….."

The only answer this desperate inquiry received was a gentle mental nudge…

"Sing…"

The female could not draw a breath, so she used what air was left in her lungs. This was pushed up over her dual larynx, through her heat buffering nasal cavities and down into the chamber that would manufacture and store the gas she would use to flame when she came of age. The reverberation this created sent a clear sweet tone out into the water to blend with and join the song of the whales.

* * *

A shadow separated away from the pack as this new sound caught the matriarch's attention. The old one rolled around this little warm spark, her sonar checking and rechecking, totally shocked at seeing a young Sky Queen unattended and drowning. The aged female no longer quickened with the change of tides…and her calf bearing years were long past. Still… the soft faltering song that the youngling produced pulled at her dormant maternal instincts. The large form made a final swirling pass by the drowning baby then rose underneath her, carefully using her huge black and white bulk to push the small body towards the surface.

* * *

"Gods be damned…Valentine…if ya don't open this shitten door, I'm gonna fucking kick it in!"

Cid had been pounding on the gunman's locked door for what seemed an awful long time. Sure…the ex-Turk liked his privacy, but usually the man would at least tell whomever was knocking at his door (namely Yuffie) to go away when he got annoyed enough. The Captain had not heard a sound from inside that room.

"Come on Vamp…at least let me know you are in there."

The fact that not a single curse peppered this demand was enough to show that the pilot was really getting worried.

"Fuck it, I'm coming in!"

The blonde stepped back, dropped his shoulder and prepared to take the door down. Sure he had a key…it was his ship after all. He just figured if he was moving fast enough when he barged in on the guy, Valentine MIGHT just miss his first shot.

The sound of a throat being cleared behind him pulled the pilot up short.

"VALENTINE WOULD PROBABLY ANSWER YOU… IF HE WHERE ACTUALLY IN THERE…"

Cid spun around. That gravely, deep voice had sounded a little like Vincent but what was leaning wearily against the corridor wall was most definitely not the gunman. The Captain just stared at the dark, BIG, winged form of Valentine's oldest and most dangerous demon…

"Y..Y…You can fuckin talk?…"

"HUM…YES… I CAN FUCKING TALK…CAN YOU FUCKING FLY?"

There was a sarcastic, almost angry sting to the mocking words.

The man winced…good going there Chief…piss the demon off, yeah… that sounded like a great fricken plan. Before he could pull his scattered wits together the winged one moved.

Highwind found himself with his back pressed against the door, face to face with one of Valentine's deadliest nightmares. (mother fucking Gia, how could something that big, move that fricken fast!) Chaos had a large, sharp clawed hand on either side of his head and the man could hear black talons dig into the hardwood of the door. Huge crimson and black wings mantled up and that rough voice softened into a deadly croon.

"TELL ME HUMAN…WHY ARE YOU SO DETERMINED TO BREAK INTO THE HOST'S MUCH VALUED PRIVACY?"

Highwind, who's heart had admittedly frozen in his chest at the immediate threat of possibly being torn limb from limb, stiffened on outrage. How dare this tatter winged reject from the nine hells INSINUATE that he had anything but honorable intentions for breaking into Vincent's room?!

"For yer fucking information, Valentine fricken saved both mine and Cloud's sorry asses out there today…and being as how YOUR all powerful, gods be damned, omnipotent ASS… fricken failed to make an appearance in order to save Vamp's skinny ass…rather than not giving a rat's ASS… I was just getting a might bit worried about yer damned Host!"

The pilot was pretty much shouting right into the demon's grey face as a stiff forefinger poked the hard armored chest just to be sure that Chaos got the point. Cid figured if he were just so much dead meat anyways, he might as well have his say. That golden gaze had dropped to watch said finger in total astonishment and as it flicked back up…the dark one's expression was unguarded. Oddly… there was no anger reflected on that exotically beautiful face. Surprise, pain and …what the hell…was that fear?…were the emotions that flitted through those glazed amber ey….Highwind had never seen the demon lord get injured where it didn't heal up in an instant…pure shock had his mouth running away with itself before his brain properly engaged.

"Holy stinking dog turds…what the fuck is wrong with yer shitten eyes?!"

Ah Crap…when was he ever going to learn to slap a muzzle on that damned mouth of his? Chaos evidently did not like the fact that he might be vulnerable, pointed out to him. Anger flashed in the demon's white filmed eyes as they narrowed, and his thin lips pulled back to show a mouthful of elongated fangs. Oh well, in for a dime, in for the whole fucking gil….

"What…don't tell me your as much a dumb fuck as Valentine when it comes to asking for shitten help…." The Captain winced at the spine crawling sound of talons biting deep into hard oak as if it were so much soft cheese.

"Yeah… well, I figured as much. Stubborn jackass! OH, and in case yer shitten machismo hasn't figured it out. This is me…Cidney Highwind…suicidal, dumb ass sky jockey that I am, fricken offering ta… you know…. Give ya'll a hand…."

Cid held his breath and watched in total fascination as everything from angry indignation, to total confusion chased themselves across the grey visage so close to his own. The demon's aquiline features finally settled in an almost desperate acceptance. Chaos sucked in a deep, pained breath, and straightened slightly, pulling his talons out of the deep groves they had gouged in the door.

"THE HOST CAUGHT A FACE FULL OF DRAGON FFLAME BEFORE HE SHIELDED YOU… NOT ONLY IS HIS BACK A SERIOUS MESS BUT HE WILL BE QUITE BLIND UNTIL I CAN GET THE DAMAGE FIXED. VINCENT…(the demon hesitated here…as if the name tasted unfamiliar to his tongue) IS GOING TO NEED SOME HELP AND HE WILL NOT BE…GRACIOUS…ABOUT RECEIVING IT."

"Heh…ya think!," Even though the tone was sarcastic…Cid kept his voice soft as Cerulean eyes solemnly held the demon's gaze, he did not think that Chaos could see him even this close. The flyer knew instinctively that Valentine's eldest was making a huge leap of faith.. "Its okay… I think I can handle Valentine."

Those grey lips tightened and Highwind jumped forward barely getting a shoulder under one tattered wing as Chaos sagged. He could not stop the grunt of effort it took for him to hold the large form up.

DAMN…he just could not help himself.

"HOLY FUCK…how in the hell do you fricken fly?

"I AM POWERED BY HELLFIRE… HIGHWIND…THIS IS SOMETHING THAT YOU MIGHT NOT WANT TO FORGET."

The Captain snorted…just so the demon knew that he had heard the subtle threat, then, swearing softly, he maneuvered the big body away from the door and got them pointed down the corridor. Just for a moment, Chaos resisted him. Cid could not help but wonder just what had happened in the gunman's long imprisonment that had been so awful it could make something as powerful as this immortal sound so…apprehensive.

"WE ARE NOT ENTERING VALENTINE'S ROOM…?"

"Yer damn tootin we ain't…his room hasn't gotta tub…the Captain's quarters does. Gonna need ta soak his back ta get the shitten ash and cloth outta those burns. With ya screwing around this long, Val will be damned lucky if a fricken infection doesn't set in."

The demon managed to stay on his feet just long enough to get the pair to the door of Cid's room. As red mist began to swirl around them, Highwind felt it was safe to answer Chaos' first sarcastic question.

"OH…. and just so ya fricken know…just cause I ain't got no shitten wings…doesn't mean I can't damn well fly!"

He was startled to feel the rumble of a soft chuckle shake the body that leaned against him, then he was busy catching Vincent as the demon relinquished control.

"Mother Gia…yer a heavy bastard."

With a grunt, the blonde managed to get the ex-Turk's lanky frame over his shoulder…it was a relief to carefully deposit the man on the bed. Even as gentle as he was being, Valentine hissed as his back hit the covers and his blistered eyelids cracked open. Highwind was pretty sure that those white filmed eyes could not see a damned thing so he was not surprised when the injured man's good hand darted to his holster. He WAS surprised when he found himself staring down the barrel of Vincent's gun and hell… even without his sight…the man had it centered dead on between Cid's baby blues! The gunslinger managed to croak….

"These are not my quarters!"

Praying that he wasn't going to get shot, the Captain slowly reached up and shifted that evil looking bore to the side. He kept his voice soft.

"Its' me Vince…you are in my quarters."

Something in the man's face relaxed a little, and Cid was suddenly alarmed as the hand holding that lethal weapon started to shake. Highwind managed to get his hands around those leather clad digits and he slipped a finger in behind the trigger so that it could not be pulled.

"Why…?"

The quiet panic that underlay that simple word had the pilot hesitating before he answered. When he did, he chose to deal with Valentine's very evident fear by being his usual obnoxious self…

"I already explained that to tall, dark, and fricken scary…don't make me shitten repeat myself."

* * *

Reviews are always welcome...and ya gotta agree that good ole Cid's got a set of balls that won't quit!


	4. Chapter 4

Thank you to the reader who signed in as "guest" and left such a nice review! It is appreciated as is all of the reviews that my other fans have left. (You know who you are!) You are the bread to my peanut butter! This is a fanfiction, Square Enix holds all rights to the FFVII world and its characters.

On the Wings of Trust Ch. 4

Pain is what had driven Vincent into the quiet comfort of unconsciousness, and excruciating pain is what jerked him back into the waking world. The ex-Turk quite literally peeled open his screaming eyes and saw only shadows and mist. That and the unexpected feeling of being in a too large space that was filled with another man's scent had his hand instinctively drawing his sidearm and aiming towards the source of heat that was leaning over him. The other's quick intake of breath gave him the orientation he needed to find his target. His every hard earned instinct told him to fire, and not automatically taking the shot was one of the hardest things the gunman had ever done…still, he did not want to pull the trigger not knowing who was at the end of the barrel.

"This is not my room…."

The hoarse whispered bark that came out of his lips did not sound at all like his usual silky tones and the effort had Valentine immediately wishing that he had kept his mouth shut. Just the passing of his breath and the vibrations of speech had the burnt lining of his throat joining in as his face, back and eyes protested their very existence. Strong hands closing on his gun hand yanked the ex-Turk's attention away from his body's agony and the person at the other end of the gun came very close to dying as he could not control the flinch that tightened his finger in the trigger guard. It was his eldest demon's lightening fast reflexes locking up the muscles of his hand that gave Cid back his life. The demon Lord's gravelly voice eerily overrode what the Captain was saying.

"Its me Vince…your in my quarters…."

"WE ARE IN THE SKY RIDER'S ROOM HOST….STAND DOWN"

Panic twisted through the gunman's chest as he realized how vulnerable he was…why had Highwind brought him here and not taken him to his own quarters? Why had Chaos allowed it?! The ex-Turk started to shake as he asked both voices…...

"Why…?"

Mother Gia…the last time he had been this helpless…terrible things….he couldn't stand…! Even with Chaos's partial control the gunman managed to squeeze the trigger, only to have the motion impeded by a strong calloused finger being jammed in behind it.

"I already explained that to tall, dark and fricken scary…don't make me shitten repeat myself."

Highwind's usual rough, rather sarcastic tone got through the miasma of panic that was threatening to engulf Valentine but the quiet and calculating voice of the shot and fallen Turk that echoed through his mind reminded him of what could happen if he let his guard down. He had trusted once before that he was in no danger and where had it gotten him? The muscles in the tortured man's forearm tightened, crawling and twisting as intellect fought with unreasoning fear. Then the gun hand steadied as the cold blooded Turk that he had once been pushed to the front…NO…He did not KNOW this man. He would NEVER fall into that trap again. In his panicked and injured state…Valentine barely heard Highwind's strangled curse over Chaos' nastier one as he practically broke the pilot's finger trying to get a shot off.

* * *

Highwind had a split second to realize that he had run out of luck and was going to get shot when he felt Vincent's gun hand firm up and steady under his hand. Mother FUCKING Gia…the pilot threw himself to the side, twisting the ex-assassin's hand back and down…there was an ominous cracking sound as the strong bones in the deceptively thin wrist gave, but Highwind was more concerned with dodging a bullet then he was with maybe hurting the man a little more. The sound of the gun firing was deafening and hot lead whined by the Captain's face as he straddled the injured gunman. Shitshitshit…the blonde twisted the hand he held again and this time succeeded in getting Vincent to drop the deadly weapon. Valentine bucked under his ass and Cid let go of the one hand and used his newly acquired gun to deflect the other much more dangerous hand. The lean body under him arched and twisted trying to throw him off and throwing caution to the wind, two powerful hands closed over the writhing man's shoulders as Highwind used every muscle he had plus his full body weight to pin the ex-Turk down.

Vincent gasped a strangled gagging scream as his ravaged back was ground into the bed. Cid's heart twisted in his chest at the gut wrenching fear and pain he heard in that one low cry…but he could not risk letting go. The dark demon had not been kidding when he had warned that Valentine might not react well to any attempt to help him. If the pilot lost his hold now, Vincent might just crawl off to hide somewhere that the help he needed might not find him again in time.

* * *

Pain jerked her mind out of the dark place it had retreated to. The little dragon squirmed herself into a tighter ball, trying to stay in that comfortable place but another savage tug on her damaged wing tip had her staggering up with an outraged scree. Brilliant eyes blinked shut as bright sun stabbed what had up until now known only darkness. The dragonet whined and tried to mantle her wings to provide some shade. Her good wing arched around as it should but the other was dragged back down by whatever was worrying the ravaged end. Spitting in outrage, her wedge shaped head twisted around, searching out her tormenter. The amber eyes narrowed as the dragonet flattened her wing down, letting the crawly thing that was worrying at the bloody tip get a better hold. She lifted her rump a little to free up her tail. As quick as her serpentine cousin, the snake, she whipped that dexterous appendage around, dropping it down hard on the armored scavenger. The crawly gave a very satisfying crunch as it died. It also wiggled and twitched in a delicious manner as the female sniffed it over. It smelled of salt and sand. Still…although it was not the hot, sweet taste that she unconsciously craved…it did satisfy some of the hunger that was building in her midsection.

Crunching up the last little bit of shell…(something in her craved the different elements that it contained) the young one again lifted her head and gave all of her attention to her surroundings. She had been almost unawares when the old sea wolf had dropped her back into the cold waves, only to have them gently deposit her on wet, moonlit land. It had taken all of the hatchling's remaining strength to pull herself further up away from the grasping water to where dry, sun warmed sand cradled her aching body.

The beach that she had been stranded on stretched in a soft curve below steep black cliffs. Tilting her head back, the female studied the far away top, and unconsciously lifted her wings in preparation for take off. The pulling and burning of damaged flesh had her tucking them back in with a protesting squawk. Flying to the top was out of the question. With a soft snort, the little queen hoisted her dragging belly out of the sand and ambled along the water line hoping to find something else to eat. The crunchy crawly had been little more than a tasty snack.

It seemed she was in luck…there was a multitude of the small armored creatures picking away at a larger, shiny carcass on the beach. Her flexible nostrils twitching, the hatchling skulked forwards than charged the carrion with a …savage…. squeak. The crabs surrounded the fresh fish feast scattered for safety. As her long narrow tongue flicked out, sampling the tastes and smells of the unfamiliar food, there was a soft…. Whoosh…. from the small, deep cove that the cliffs surrounded. Questioning eyes quickly picked out the large triangular fin that sliced the water as her benefactor, the sea wolf rose high in the water. The black and white giant's soft brown eye caught the golden ones of the little female for a moment and a soft song traveled over the surface of the water. There was a shimmering chime inside her head…and the little dragonet blinked breaking the eye contact. For a moment she just watched the great beast, then a repeat of the same notes sang up and out of her long throat in answer. The young sky queen dipped her muzzle to tap the glimmering scales of her meal with an inquisitive nose. Fish…this gift was named…fish.

* * *

The old matriarch had turned and made a fast run back to the green dragon's carcass as soon as she was sure the hatchling was sleeping safe, well above high tide mark. Not only was the gift of an easy meal not to be ignored, but there was still time to offer what she could to the Sky Queen's dying spirit. Most of the pack had eaten their fill by the time she returned and there was little of the great beast's body left. The elder blew a string of bubbles in distress…she was too late.

A deep echoing rumble answered her bubbly squeak… as her oldest son…and the Alpha male of the pod slid stealthily along side her in the dark, bloodied water. A hard nudge of his blunt nose then a gentler push of his massive, white streaked body guided her to where he had broken a great hole in the solid cage of bones that had made up the dead saurian's ribcage. There…nestled against the dark mass of the mighty creature's heart, a small slightly glowing orb rocked in the motion of the tides. With quite a bit of effort, the old female squirmed her bulk through the breach and rolled so that she could release a long breath. The bubbles it formed swirled around the orb, brushing it with soft ethereal kisses. For a heart wrenching moment nothing happened then the spirit crystal flared to life. The Matriarch parted massive jaws and gently picked the lovely thing up, nestling it tight against her warm, and sensitive tongue. She could not absorb the Queen's spirit knowledge as another dragon could…but she could most certainly listen with heart and soul as the fading Saurian's spirit told her what needed to be done. The female was very old, her soul mate was already swimming in LifesRiver, and she could no longer bear young. For a long time she listened and memorized the song that wound its way through her mind. Then as the globe in her mouth cooled…and then faded, she reverently ate the great dragon's heart…binding herself to the promise with the power of heart's blood and magic. She would keep an eye on the pale hatchling …and teach her what she could of the mighty dragon's song.

Later that day…as the sun warmed the water in the dragonet's cove, the Matriarch listened to the song of her pod as it faded into the distance. She stayed and watched with a mother's love as the little winged beast bravely attacked the armored hoard. And it was with pride that she listened to her odd, earth bound adopted daughter's first song/word.

When it was time…the elder would do what the Sky queen had humbly asked.

* * *

Chaos had hoped that he could release control of his unwilling host and just retreat to his quiet little corner of the man's mind to rest. This little fantasy was put to bed with frightening speed. The demon had warned the blonde flyer that Valentine would not be…receptive…when it came to accepting help. But even he was caught flat footed by the sheer ferocity of the gunman's panicked reaction. The demon just barely prevented total disaster when he locked his host's muscles up long enough to save the flyer from taking a bullet in the face, but was not able to keep this tenuous hold on the frantically struggling gunman's mind. Chaos' control slipped just a micron and the sound of a gunshot echoed through out the room. Savage pain ratcheted through the demon's host as the sky rider pulled a miracle out of his ass, avoiding the gunslinger's shot and managing to pin the man at the same time. It was bad enough that the two lesser demons rose in response and the eldest had a fight on his hands keeping them under control.

"SHIVA'S TITS…. GALIAN…. A LITTLE HELP WOULD BE APPRECIATED!"

With the help of the Beast's wild strength…the demon Lord finally pushed the other two back and managed to get his Host locked down before he could accidentally kill the human who had been fool enough to try and help them.

* * *

Cid was just going to pull in a great gasping sigh of relief as the body under him stilled, when there was a loud knock on his quarter's door.

"Captain…is everything okay in there?"

SHIT…someone must have heard the commotion and gone and gotten Cloud. FUCK….Highwind did not dare get up. Valentine might be still, but the pilot was pretty sure it wasn't willing. He could feel the man shuddering and twitching under his weight almost as if he were having seizure. The knock turned to pounding.

"Highwind…we heard a gunshot…"

Ah HELL he did not need the ex-SOLDIER in here muddying up the fricken water…Vincent sure as shitten would react badly to that little reminder of Shinra Inc.

"Everything's fucking fine…go away!"

There was total silence for a moment,

"Cid…is Valentine in there?….if you don't open this door now, I am going to kick it in!"

The Captain flinched as a familiar rumbling voice ground out between Vincent's pale lips.

"WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO FLEDGLING?…I WILL TOLERATE NO OTHER NEAR HIM WHILE HE IS THIS VULNERABLE!"

Mother FRICKEN Gia,…this was turning into a SHITTEN clusterfuck! Visions of the bloodbath that was going to ensue passed before Cid's eyes.

"You have got to be jacking me…Batly…vulnerable my lily white ASS…The fucker just about painted my walls with my own Gods be damned brains! Do ya have him under shitten control?!"

The one answered word came out as a warning growl.

"YES…."

"Great, you hold the fricken fort down here and I'll go get rid of chocobo butt!"

* * *

Cloud stood down as Cid opened his door and slid through, then shut it tightly as he joined the swordsman in the corridor.

"See….. everything is just hunky fucking dory…what's the shitten problem?"

The ex-Soldier's quiet face did not shift expression, but Cloud's trained eye noted the swollen, dislocated finger that shook slightly along with the rest as the Captain tried to light a cigarette.

"I see…is that a powder burn on your cheek?"

The cerulean eyes flew wide as the damaged hand flew to rub at the darkened spot, cigarette temporarily forgotten.

"SHIT…fricken forgot about that!"

"Um hum…."

The swordsman plucked the lighter out of the other blonde's hand, flicked it open and lifted the flame to where Cid could light his smoke. As the flyer reached to cup the offered light, Cloud's other hand darted out, closed over the digit that was not lined up as it should be and jerked hard. The soft click of the finger returning to its original alignment was drowned out by Highwind's shout.

"MOTHER FUCKING GIA…son of a BASTARD…that fricken…feels a lot better…."

The Captain looked haggard as he sucked a lungful of smoke. Cloud's lips twitched up for a second then settled back into a firm line.

"I caught a glimpse of Valentine's back earlier…is it as bad as it looked?"

Cid ran a broad hand through his rumpled hair.

"Hell…I don't know…haven't fucking gotten that far yet. The damned asshole seems to have a problem with being fricken touched!"

Cloud reached for the door handle only to freeze as the shorter man held the door shut.

"I can't let ya in Cloud…seems Valentine's shitten peanut gallery share in his fricken paranoia." The pilot gently pushed Avalanche's leader back. "Go away Cloud… I think I can handle Vincent and his demons. If I can't…I'd really rather NOT leave my airship here as a fucking tomb."

Cloud just studied those worried vivid eyes for a moment, then he stepped back and nudged a small bag at his feet with the toe of his boot.

"Here are some things that Arieth and I thought you might need….I'll keep the others off of your back. You WILL let me know if you need anything else." As Cid nodded and opened the door the swordsman's strong slender hand rested on his shoulder a moment,

"Highwind…watch yourself…if Hojo was the last person to lay his hands on Vincent…he comes by his…paranoia…very honestly."

* * *

The few moments that Vincent lay controlled by his demons and not having to deal with having someone else touching him were enough that he managed to get his unreasoning panic under some kind of control.

Even so…when he heard the door open and then close again, he could not help the tension that coiled through his traumatized body and bruised mind. Chaos rumbled softly in exasperation….

"HOST…THIS ONE ACTUALLY SEEMS TO HAVE A BRAIN HIDDEN BEHIND THAT SEWAGE SPEWING MOUTH OF HIS. STILL…IF YOU WISH… WE CAN RELEASE YOU AND YOU CAN PUT A BULLET THROUGH IT AS A REWARD FOR HIS KINDNESS!"

...

* * *

Poor Cid...I do believe he is in it up to his eyebrows!


	5. Chapter 5

I am sorry for the delay. A death in the family took the wind out of my sails for a few days. This is a fanfiction, Square Enix holds all rights to the FFVII world and its characters.

On the Wings of Trust Ch. 5

Highwind leaned against the door and took a precious moment to try and calm the shakes that had started as a delayed reaction to the overload of adrenaline set in. Wary cerulean eyes studied the man on the bed. Vincent's demons still seemed to have the ex-Turk under control as the injured man lay quiet, appearing to have calmed somewhat. Cid entertained the sudden hope that just maybe he was going to get through this without too much blood loss on his part. The cigarette between his lips glowed as he sucked down a much needed drag. The pilot just about choked when the gunslinger suddenly rolled, and with great effort, pushed himself shakily up until he was sitting on the edge of the bed.

The Captain chewed on his smoke, trying to come up with a plan.

"Where In the nine Hells do you think you are going?!"

Valentine's ravaged gaze turned towards him and the raven head cocked as he triangulated on Cid's rough voice.

Vincent coughed softly and Highwind had to strain to hear the rough, almost whispered words.

"I do not wish to be here."

For a moment, a little niggle of fear worried at the pilot…SHIT this was an ex-TURK he was dealing with. A highly skilled assassin…no matter that the man insisted that this career field was behind him. Cid was willing to lay dollars to fricken dog turds that the man had at least one more gun squirreled away somewhere on his body. Dollars to Dog….bingo!

The pilot shifted away from the door, and suppressed a shudder as, somehow, Valentine continued to track him. "I'll make ya a fricken one time good shitten deal….Spooky…if ya can make it to the door under yer own power, I'll give up and let ya deal with this on yer own!"

"You will allow me to return to my quarters…this is a promise?"

"Yeah…I give ya my word."

The fact that this last was delivered with none of the blonde's customary imaginative language spoke volumes as to how serious he was.

Highwind watched in silent satisfaction as the gunman tried once to get to his feet and failed in his attempt. He should have thought of this earlier, there was no way the injured man was going to make it all the way to the door. Hell…even if the ex-Turk managed to gain his feet, Cid doubted that he could even FIND the exit. The satisfaction turned to astonishment as with his pale lips pulled back into a determined snarl, somehow Vincent pushed himself up until he was standing. The crimson cloaked man just stood for a moment swaying a little. He had shut his whitened eyes and for a moment his pale face turned toward Highwind, then the dark head tilted a little and the pilot could see his lips move as if the blind man was calculating. The captain just about swallowed his cigarette when with no visible hesitation, his unwilling guest turned and made his slow careful way towards the door.

* * *

Chaos was aware that the draconic being he carried was watching all that transpired with…interest. The ancient spirit had tasted the essence of the man who had killed the crimson drake before it had accepted the demon Lord's offer. What it had found, it did not say…but there had been no sign of anger or recrimination as it had silently settled into a corner of Vincent's rather crowded soul. The entity had remained quiet through the whole of his host's desperate fight to get away from the sky captain and it had not reacted during the quick and silent battle of wills that had occurred in the quelling of the "other" two that resided within. It silently watched as Valentine, through his strength of will alone, ignored his agony and pushed himself up when Chaos reluctantly released his control. On the man's second try to get to his feet Vincent unconsciously reached for the dark strength of his eldest that was usually there when he needed it. For the first time since he had been implanted, the demon purposely withheld it. Chaos was aware of every subtle nuance of his Host's physical condition. He knew that the blinded man could not make it three feet, let alone to the door without his help. "_**HELP HIM…." **_The beautifully harmonic voice that twined its' way through the demon's mind was as soft as a musical breeze but the song held hints of an ancient power that had once rivaled that of the wild wind. Still, Chaos resisted…

"NO… THE HOST MUST NOT WIN IN THIS, HE NEEDS THIS ONE'S HELP."

"_**YES…IT SEEMS WE ALL DO. DEAMEONIA, YOUR VESSEL IS DAMAGED IN BODY BUT MORE SO IN SPIRIT. IF YOU CHOOSE NOT TO HELP HIM AND FOLLOW YOUR USUAL TACTICS OF FORCING HIM INTO ACCEPTING THINGS UNWILLINGLY…. HE WILL EVENTUALLY SHATTER. THERE IS A LESSON TO BE LEARNED HERE…. AGAIN… WE ASK….LEND HIM YOUR STRENGTH."**_

It was not a demand, just a gentle plea. This and hearing a lost title that he thought only HE remembered, softened the ancient being's resolve. Chaos released a trickle of strength and stabilized his Host as Valentine succeeded in gaining his feet.

* * *

On his second attempt to reach his feet, Vincent reached for the deep well of strength that his demons usually provided only to find it…not there. Panic sang through his veins as he realized that he would be receiving no aid from this quarter. Then… before he could react to the fear…for some reason Chaos relented, providing support and damping the terrible pain that threatened to take the man back down to his knees. Vincent stood quiet, calculating where Highwind's voice had come from in relation to the sound the door had made when it had closed. This gave him a fair idea of which way he needed to go. Of course, his non-existent sight was going to be a problem once he got into the corridor. His demon's would be of little help, they were as blind as he was.

Even with Chaos' support, every step the gunman made was torture. Fragile burnt flesh stretched and tore with each movement. Before he had gone three steps, the coppery taste of blood rode up with each breath, tainting his mouth with its' sweet metallic taste. The floor shifted alarmingly one way and then the other…odd… he thought Highwind had landed the ship.

Relief surged through the gunman when he felt his fingers close on the door handle. A soft hiss escaped his tight lips as the broken bones in his wrist protested when he tried to turn it. For a moment the ex-Turk just sagged against the sturdy wood, thankful for its support. He was going to need to just be still a moment to gather his strength for the fight he knew was coming. The Turk in his soul knew that a man's verbal promise rarely meant squat! Vincent was positive that the stubborn pilot would not keep his word and where as he really did not want to hurt the man, he was not going to let Captain bully him into staying in this room.

* * *

Well FUCK! Highwind had counted on the fact that he was sure Valentine wouldn't be able to get off of the bed let alone make it to the door. His broad hand ran through blonde hair and then rubbed vigorously at the back of his neck, then the pilot shook himself, and stepped towards the door. He could see the ex-Turk bracing, getting ready for the fight he was expecting. SHIT…it wasn't as if the pilot had any real choice in the matter. Cid's large hand settled over the lean one that rested on the door handle.

"Move over a bit so I can open the shitten door. Then ya can lean on me till we get to yer fricken room."

Vincent flinched a little at his close proximity and the tousled raven head tilted in his direction. Surprise widened those damaged eyes.

"Y-you are going to let me out?"

"Hell yes…I gave ya my fuckin word…didn't I?"

Valentine lowered his gaze…and shifted as if he were going to move. Then the gunman gave a choked gasp as he inadvertently breathed in a wisp of smoke from Cid's almost finished cigarette. Highwind swore as that slight gasp turned into a harsh, racking cough. The ex-Turk doubled up and would have fallen if two strong arms hadn't wrapped around his lean frame.

"WHOA…I gotcha Spooky….just breath damn it…I won't let ya fricken fall."

The Captain eased the two of them to the floor, wincing as the man he held gagged and choked, trying to get his breath back. Then the blonde just stared at the flecks of crimson that spattered the dark wood of the door and dappled the tanned skin on his forearm. A quick glance confirmed…there was frothy blood on the gunman's paler than usual lips.

"Mother FUCKING Gia…Vincent…your coughing up blood! Did you breath in any of that dragon's flame?!"

Valentine's eyes fluttered closed, his strength used up by the battle to just breath. Cid did not relent…he gave the man a light shake eliciting a soft uhn…from him.

"Answer me damn it!"

"No flame…Chaos says gotta a cple a good lungfuls of whatever it is they breath n ignite….i..s almos as bad." The words were softly spoken and more worrisome, were starting to slur.

SHIT…change in plans…there was no WAY he was letting the gunman slink off to his quarters…alone. A wickedly evil thought pushed its way to the front of his mind. The Captain had one last hand to play. Cid moved around so that he was face to face with the man. He knew that Vincent could not see him so he shifted close and spoke softly.

"Listen Vamp…if ya want, I'll keep my fricken word and take ya back to yer Gods be damned quarters…It would be better if ya stay here where I can keep a couple of eyes on ya though. HELL…." Here he made his gamble and put out his ace in the hole. "I am sure the others…specially the girls can do that. The fricken brat would be more than willing to check in on ya. A locked door will mean nothing ta her shitten sticky fingers!"

He knew he had won when an odd look flitted across the ex-Turk's face and his bloodied lips moved almost silently "Yuffie!…NO….you wouldn't…"

"Hehehe yer damned tootin I would…so what's it goin to be, my bed or yours?"


	6. Chapter 6

This is a fanfiction. I make no profit from it. Square Enix holds all rights to the FFVII world and its characters. I own the rights to my original characters.

On the Wings of Trust Ch. 6

The Matriarch made another circuit of the cove, her uneasiness translating into restless motion. She could feel the change in the water that cradled her. Her sleek head broke the surface as the sea wolf spy hopped so that she could check out what was going on in the above world. The sky was still blue but the air the female breathed was becoming heavy…foreboding. Somewhere to the south a massive storm was brewing.

One brown eye studied the half curve of cliffs that towered over the beach, noting the signs that waves DID crash against their jagged faces on a regular basis. Then the elder's gaze turned to watch the pale dragonet who was occupied with rooting around under the many rocks on the beach, evidently looking for crunchy tidbits. It was amazing that something so small and delicate looking could have an appetite that exceeded that of the fast growing sea wolf pups! Of course, the cold blooded flesh of fish was not a dragon's usual fair. Maybe the youngling needed to eat more because the water dwellers were not the hot, bloody flesh that dragons usually dined on?

WELL…the female huffed then sank back below the surface…there was no helping that. She was old and not as fast as she used to be. The seals that occasionally frequented these waters were no longer prey that she could catch on her own. And the old one would not consider hunting a Smiler. Long ago…the Ever living Serpent had laid down the law of the pack. None of these lesser intelligent air breathing swimmers could be looked upon as a meal. They were forbidden meat. Even without this law…if she were able to catch one of the annoying little chatterboxes…they were close enough to kin that feeding one to the Sky Queen would be…abhorrent…. to her. Fish it seemed would be her only contribution to the hungry fledgling's menu! Blowing exasperated bubbles the Matriarch headed out to deeper water. She had time before the storm to bring the hatchling a little more fish. Maybe if she were lucky, she would run into a pod of Smilers and she could bully them into helping her to fill that winged, seemingly bottomless pit of a dragon pup!

* * *

Cid stifled his sigh of relief when Vincent sagged against him and hoarsely whispered…

"Yours…it seems…is my only choice!"

Shit…Highwind braced himself as Valentine's pain and exhaustion finally caught up with him and the man went limp within his hold.

"I damn well expect ya to fricken remember ya said that when ya wake up!"

It took some effort for the pilot to get the lanky body up over his shoulder then maneuver him back to the bed. "Gods be damned, your fricken heavy for such a skinny fart!"

At least this time, Valentine stayed down and out as his back settled on the quilt. Not knowing how long this little blessing would last, Cid quickly undid the buckles that fastened the high cowl of the crimson cloak that Vincent was never without. Cerulean eyes flew wide as he opened the cloak and saw the whole of the ex-Turk's face for the first time. The gunman was obsessive about keeping covered and NONE of the group had been graced with a clear view of their strange companion. (NOT for lack of trying on the women's part!)

Holy …..! For a moment the blonde's mind froze and his eclectic vocabulary failed him! Then, with an almost audible grind his brain shifted back into gear. Why the fricken HELL did this secretive man hide himself?! Vincent Valentine was eerily beautiful. On his face, the damage from the dragon's flame was isolated to his eyes alone. Something had protected the porcelain skin that graced the high, delicately chiseled cheekbones and long, fine patrician nose. Elegant black eyebrows, tangled raven hair and the headband that was supposed to tame it had not even been scorched. The only thing that marred this perfection was the bloody tracks that those scorched eyes had wept and the light froth of blood that stained the pale lips.

Without thinking, Cid carefully wiped the crimson away from that strong mouth with the side of his thumb. The amazing softness and warmth of those slightly parted lips was pleasantly…unexpected, and the pilot found himself wondering what they would taste…what the HELL was he doing? Cid gave himself a sub-conscious shake. Dragging his gaze away from that quiet face was harder than it should have been. The Captain swore softly as he wrestled with the complex buckle and belt system that strapped the man's custom holster to his slender hips. Once he had puzzled this out, (and to be truthful he came very close to cutting the damned things!) he spent a couple of precious minutes figuring out how the sharp metallic sabatons unhooked from soft leather boots. He had always thought the odd footwear looked awkward but after cutting his hand on one of the sharp edged toes, the blonde realized that they were in fact, nasty defensive weapons. Remembering the man's OTHER dangerous personal weapon, Cid slanted a quick glance at the man's left hand and just shook his head. He had never seen the gunman take that wicked gauntlet off…HELL…. he didn't know if it even came off. He was right about the other guns though. Valentine had two others tucked into places on his body that from the outside betrayed no sign that they were there. The blonde found no bladed weapons, which stood to reason. With five razor talons permanently attached to his fingers, the assassin did not need knives. Trying not to think about what the retired killer could do with said razors Highwind flinched as he carefully tried to ease the leather pants over slim hips and Vincent stirred with a soft "hnnn." That lethal hand lifted to settle lightly on his wrist. SHITshitshit…the pilot worked hard at keeping his voice low and calm.

"Its' okay Vince…can ya hear me?" The frightening hand tightened slightly then eased up…. "Good, I gotta get yer damned leathers off fore I put ya in the tub…nothing worse than wet fricken pants."

This was greeted with a soft snort…which turned into another coughing fit. Sharp talons sliced the skin on Cid's arm as Valentine tried to curl into himself. Ignoring the pain, Highwind wrapped his fingers around the metal clad wrist and quickly pulled the man onto his side. More bright blood frothed from between the gunman's gasping lips, but the new position did seem to help clear his airway.

"Son of a FRICKEN bastard!…Just keep yer damned ass still and let me shitten do this!" The pilot waited just long enough to be sure that Valentine was breathing a little easier then he hastily stripped his pants off.

Highwind was working fast…too much time had passed since the initial burning and there was a very good chance that infection had already set in. A quick check confirmed that whatever had protected Vincent's face had also protected his lower body. Other than an odd pattern of older scars, the pale skin of his legs looked unmarked. (Bright eyes lingered for a moment on that strange patchwork of lines but the blonde's mind was occupied and it shied away from understanding what he was seeing.) The soft black briefs that the ex-Turk wore under his leathers were left on to preserve some of the man's dignity. Cid was not sure just how aware the injured man was of his surroundings.

Carefully shifting the quiet man's body forward a little, Highwind sucked in a breath as he got his first look at the price that Valentine had paid for serving as his living shield. His benefactor's back was a charred and blackened wasteland of burnt flesh. The material of his shirt had melted and flowed, bonding with damaged skin. All down his spine and across his shoulder blades this strangely hardened melding had split and tore. These wounds wept bloody tears in slow but steady streams. Highwind swallowed hard as his stomach rolled in protest when a smell very reminiscent of burnt pork hit his nose. There wasn't a chance that even with soaking he was going to be able to get enough of the foreign material out of this devastating injury to attempt casting "CURE." And the pain he was going to inflict…He sank to his knee's beside the bed and saw with a sinking heart Valentine's blinded eyes slit open for a moment. Mother Gia…the man was conscious.

For the first time in a long time the Captain was overwhelmed with a feeling of total helplessness. Trying to deal with this on his own was frickin nuts! He was way out of his league here. Just for a moment, the blonde contemplated getting Cloud back down here…the quiet ex-Soldier, with his battlefield training, was the closest thing that they had to a medic on the ship. Then Highwind remembered Chaos' warning…only he would be allowed near Valentine until the man was less vulnerable to attack. FUCK! He could not risk pushing ANY of Vincent's powerful demons into feeling defensive. AND just where the hell was Chaos and his vaunted powers of regeneration? Shouldn't THAT one have taken care of this by now!? This totally sucked big, fricken, hairy assed BALLS!…Not so much for him, but for the ex-Turk. What the pilot had to do to the man was NOT going to be pleasant.

Needing a moment to gather his nerve, Highwind took a second to check what was in the bag that Cloud had brought. There were some potions, clean bandages, an assortment of medical supplies and several small packets of dried herbs with a short note written in a distinctly feminine hand, instructing him to let them steep in the water he used to clean the ex-Turk's burns. He rested a hand on Valentine's shoulder.

"Are ya still with me Vince?" At the man's slight nod, Cid rose and leaned over a little. "You just rest here…I gotta get some things ready."

* * *

A gently touch stroking his lips tickled at Valentine's sleeping consciousness. "Lucrecia…?" No that could not be right, that one was long dead. Hands tugging at the belt that secured his leathers jerked Vincent back out of the warm dark that he had retreated to in order to get away from the pain that racked his body. In the not so distant past, cruel cold hands removing his clothing had been the harbinger of painful experimentation and sometimes…worse. His gauntleted hand flashed out (even as his mind realized that this was not right, he was not restrained) Before the blow could fall…music twisted through his mind. Deep rumbling notes sounded, combined and twined around his unreasoning fear, effectively smothering it. Instead of slashing out, those razor talons settled on a wrist too solid to have been Hojo's. As if sensing his reaction, the harmony softened, and the gunman became aware that he recognized the rough voice that accompanied those hands. The ex-Turk was occupied trying to track the lovely, simple harmony that continued to evolve in his head so he only gave Cid a slight squeeze and nod to let him know that he was awake. The soothing music had his fear pushed back far enough that he could not suppress a soft snort of amusement at the Captain's very truthful comment about wet leathers. This proved a mistake as fire shot through his lungs even with this slight exhalation. He did not know what was worse, the feeling that he was actually coughing up, and choking to death on scorched lung tissue or the way his back screamed when Cid jerked him onto his side. The haunting melody echoed and reverberated, strengthening and became more complex as high sweet notes created a counterpoint to the bass ones which were so deep that they seem to vibrate through his very bones. It pulled his mind away from the reality of injury and pain, isolating him in a numbing world of sound and beauty. Where was that melody coming from? Music was NOT in the make up of the quartet he carried. The gunman was pretty positive that he had never heard ANY of his demons even hum…still,

"Chaos..?"

* * *

The Scholar had kept quiet after the one admonishment to the eldest creature that shared this space. But when the human Host's pain and fear accelerated as he woke and the Deameonia that were melded with him did not stir, the ancient being made the decision to act. The laws that had been laid down for its' prolonged existence by the Living Serpent were strict and the punishment for breaking them extreme. Still…even when it had been a living being, this one had possessed the compassion to balance its' cold intellect…something that was rare even in those days, amongst its' kind.

When the Host lashed out at the one trying to help, the dragon rose and started to weave a song of magic designed to soothe emotion and pain. The Cetra had been sensitive to the power that the ancient saurian race could weave into their songs but the Scholar was not sure that this would work with a lesser species like the humans. The melody wove and danced its' gentle way through the man's confused mind. The dragon felt the Host reach for the ancient Deameonia that was the dominant here, but that one was as ill as his vessel and it was easy to keep him suppressed. (Ha… even in the days before their races had become unlikely allies, the warrior like Deameonia knew better than to pick a fight with an adult dragon!)

As it turned out, humans were just as responsive to a dragon's hypnotizing voice as the Elders had been. The man's mind and will were wrapped in layers of magic and song before he could even think to fight. He was still, in essence, awake but was cocooned in a spell that insulated him somewhat from what his physical body was feeling.

The dragon…who was the dominant personality now…felt the other return. It could not see this other human although curiosity did make it try…there was nothing it could do about its' vessel's damaged eyes but it COULD smell the other male. This one carried the scent of metal, ash and smoke imprinted into his very skin. It was a familiar, almost draconic scent and the old one found that it was strangely comforted by it. The voice that accompanied the smell was NOT harmonic but it did carry its own unique cadence, almost like a song of power.

"I need ya ta put yer arms around my neck…I don't want to put any pressure on yer damned back."

The Scholar had been walking a fine line between what was allowed and what was forbidden. As a Guardian of Knowledge, the dragon spirit was allowed to observe and if IT was approached, to teach. It had not been encapsulated in a mind CAPABLE of learning any but the most basic of what it had to share in a very long time! A Scholar was certainly NOT allowed to interfere with the living in anyway and actually forcing its' influence on the body that Hosted it was an offense that could bring about its' permanent demise if it was brought to the Serpent God's attention. Still, when having to choose between stepping up or releasing its spell, and in doing so allowing the fragile human to bear the brunt of what was coming, the dragon stepped over that fine line. It moved forward to occupy the majority of the man's functional mind.

The body form of this one was not as unfamiliar to the saurian as it would seem. At one time, before the Calamity war…before ingesting HOT blood, living flesh and metal had degraded its' people, they had possessed forelimbs that had been usable for more than just slashing and killing. Its' own hands had been fully capable of handling a quill and it had authored more than one of the tomes that rested in the great library!

It took a few seconds to coordinate things as the one arm was affected by old damage and a construct that enhanced nerve impulses, added skeletal support, and greatly augmented the limb's muscle strength required care to avoid accidental injury to the one who helped them. The dragon strengthened its song and spell as agony rolled through its' shared body when the other lifted them up in his surprising strong arms. That agony flashed to fire as their body was settled carefully into warm, antiseptic smelling water. This reached through the buffering magic and for a moment the song faltered. The man's subconscious broke through the imposed calm and reacted instinctively, trying to arch its' flesh away from what felt like hot acid eating at the damaged surface. The Scholar broke more laws than it cared to think about as it ruthlessly channeled more strength than it could spare into its' spell song. It had recognized that sharp, herbal smell and knew that it only had to keep the man controlled for a moment. There was no surprise when the pain retreated to be replaced by a cool, numb sensation and the trapped mind settled back into its song induced trance. Somehow, one of these surprising humans had the herbal skills of a Cetra! The Scholar was considering releasing its' magic when the other knelt beside them and a gentle touch of his hand on their ravaged back sent a shock of pain that overrode the herb's numbing agent. The man's voice sounded almost as if he were sick.

"Man…Spooky…what I have ta do….shit, this is going to be damned rough. If yer gods be damned demons can knock ya out….this would be a good time to fricken let them…"

The saurian had been expending power at an alarming rate. Without a draconic body to replenish its' limited energy, and not knowing how often the Deameonia Lord was allowed to take physical form, the only way it could feed off of that dark power, the aged spirit had to be very careful that it did not drain itself of earth magic completely. To do so was to invite the "final" death. Just that little hint of what had to be done before the Host's vessel could start to heal showed it that it did not have the strength to buffer the one named "Spooky" through the ordeal that was coming…So…the dragon did the next best thing. It wove its' song of magic into a dreaming spell…then dove as far into the man's consciousness as it could get, dragging… Spooky's… now sleeping mind with it.

* * *

Cid sat back in his chair, his shadowed blue gaze not leaving the still form of the heavily bandaged gunman who was curled on his side on the bed. It seemed that the man's "residents" had been listening, because Vincent had sunk so deep into unconsciousness he seemed to be almost comatose. This had been a blessing. Before the pilot had finished the gruesome task of removing dead flesh and what he could of the melted shirt from the nasty third degree burns, the bath water had been scarlet with fresh blood and streaked with a virulent green discharge that all of the wounds seemed to be producing. Mother Fucking Gia…he wished he could get someone else to check on the ex-Turk. He had never seen anything quite like this. No one that the Captain knew who had taken a direct hit from a dragon had lived long enough to need medical treatment.

The blonde leaned forward so that he could listen to his ward breathe. He had managed to nurse a small amount of a healing potion down the man's scorched throat and it did seem as if that horrible, bubbling gurgle that accompanied each inhalation had eased off somewhat. The open hatch window allowed the early morning breeze in. The climate was mild here and Highwind had decided that they needed the fresh air to cleanse the smell of burnt flesh out of the air more than he had to worry about Valentine getting chilled. Even so, the man seriously doubted he would be eaten pork anytime soon!

With a soft sigh the pilot turned to the tray that he had put on the nightstand. As he had been layering thick bandages over and around Vincent's raven head to protect those damaged eyes there had been a quiet knock at his door. Swearing softly…because Chocobo BUTT… damn it, was supposed to be running fricken interference for him… he had answered it only to find a tray placed in the hall. It contained a plate of breakfast for himself, a pot of hot tea (thank the gods!)and a pot of a pleasant smelling herb laced broth. There was a low level cure, offered from Yuffie's collection, clean towels and bandaging material, and it had also held a small bottle of the strong spirit that Barret enjoyed on occasion. For a long moment the Captain just stood and looked at the offerings. Vincent might not be aware of it, but this was obvious proof that the group had accepted the demon ridden man with opened arms.

Cid could not even stomach the thought of eating…but he did pour himself a stiff drink. Settling back into his chair (Shiva's bodacious tits…he was tired!), the pilot returned to studying Vincent. Highwind considered himself a relatively…experienced…man of the world. It had not taken but a moment as he worked the shirt off of Valentine's limp body to figure out what the extensive scarring that was revealed meant. Bone deep, jagged, almost trenches marked the ex-Turk's strong wrist on his gun hand side. The feel of the scar under his fingers as Cid set the bones he had broken, had made his heart twist. Mother Fucking Gia…. No wonder Vincent had fought being physically restrained so hard! The blonde hated that he had added to the man's fear and pain. He also found the same pattern of scarring on Valentine's forearm, upper arm, ankles, calves, thighs and most disturbing, his neck. These were just the remnants of repeated pressure and friction injuries caused by the man desperately fighting against tight surgical restraints. The sight of the other scars that defiled every surface of the graceful body, especially the long sinuous curves of several autopsy cuts that traveled from neck to groin, had been enough that the Captain had finally lost the battle with his stomach and had to heave over the toilet for a few miserable minutes. How come he just fucking KNEW that Valentine had been awake when that insane bastard had opened him up like a Gods be damned fish? The ex-Turk had quietly mentioned that he had been…experimented….on by Hojo. He had never used the word…torture. Of course, the mentally unstable man had a huge guilt complex. It did not take much to figure out that somehow his torturer had convinced the victim being vivisectioned that the he deserved what he was getting. Cid winced as the glass he was unconsciously crushing made a protesting pop. A quick glance and he sighed, then set the cracked thing aside. IF he could get Vincent through this…he was going to make a considerable effort to convince the man that NOBODY deserved what had been done to him, and even harder than this…he needed to convince the ex-Turk that IF they found Hojo, he wanted five minutes alone with the fucking sick son of a bastard before the gunman finished him off!

* * *

The little dragonet was miserable. The bright sun caused her soft, pale skin to crack and peel so she had rolled in the black tidal mud trying to find some relief. This helped with the sun, but after a couple of repeat applications, the oily goop was drying, causing her to itch unbearably all over. The fish she had eaten had hardly made a dent in her appetite, and she was crunching the hard shelled crawlies down as fast as she could catch them. Not because they helped with her hunger much, but because her body CRAVED something and what was in their hard carapaces seemed to ease this overpowering need somewhat. These little mini-snacks were heavily laden with sand and salt. This created a new discomfort. She moved close to the low tide water line and carefully sampled the clear water. This was immediately spit out. The fledgling hummed her distress, thirst was making her long throat and equally long tongue, dry and scratchy.

A swooping series of tones and whistles jerked the hatchling's attention ocean ward. Just in time to get bowled over in a tangle of legs and wings by the bow wave the big sea wolf kicked up as she propelled herself on to the wet mud. Sputtering and spitting, the female staggered back to her feet. GREAT…now not only was she dirty and itchy, she was soaking WET! The dragon hissed her displeasure at the great black and white beast, who responded with a burbling ach ach ach…golden eyes narrowed as the little queen glared at her much larger companion. She tried to translate the sound….but all she came up with was that it sounded suspiciously like she was being laughed at. The one large brown eye that was above head level with her winked and the sea wolf's cavernous, tooth studded mouth opened. A broad pink tongue playfully bounced several fish that rested on it a couple of times then flipped them out onto the sand.

The dragonet watched the fish flop around but did not attack them. Yes, she needed to eat, but there was another type of hunger scraping away at her spirit. A part of her realized that she should not be alone. For a moment, the brief memory of a large warm side and soft sweet song echoing through her new mind warmed that empty spot, then it was gone. The small triangular head quested up as the dragonet stood on her hind legs so that she could balance herself, damaged wings spread, against the water rider's sleek black hide and look hard into an eye as big as her head. At this touch, something tickled her through her thoughts.

"Mama….?" Maybe if she could get closer, the contact would be stronger. Without thinking the little dragon dropped; folded her flight limbs, the one had started to bleed again, and wiggled herself into the giant's still open mouth. That huge pink tongue was inviting and as she curled up on top of it, an unreadable mix of emotions and something a part of her recognized as "same" rolled through her young and open mind. The female didn't notice that those massive cone shaped teeth where closing. She rubbed her muzzle and chin along the soft, slightly rough, damp surface and, discomfort forgotten, sighed with new found bliss… "Mama!"

The Matriarch's well ingrained instincts almost caused a tragedy. She was caught flat finned as the sky queen crawled inside her mouth and lay skin to skin on her sensitive tongue. The first reaction was to spit the nasty thing out! the youngling was FILTHY and tasted of dragon, crabs, tidal mud and…this other taste is what triggered the sea wolf's feeding reflex…fresh blood. Without thinking, her mighty jaw started to slam shut. Something traveled from the intruder into her mind. What the old female had absorbed from the dead Sky Queen's spirit opened a conduit, then translated for her and the one word/image that rolled through her startled mind, stopped her from accidentally crushing and swallowing the dragonet.

"Mama….!"

The matriarch's mouth popped back open…"WHAT!?"

An indignant squawk echoed around her mouth as the dragon's warm bed bounced her up against the roof of the sea wolf's mouth. The Matriarch winced as the surprised hatchling dug blunted claws into the jumping surface of her tongue, trying to maintain her position. The young one's reply was desperate and almost accusatory.

"MAMA…!"

Using the same motion that had flopped the fish out, the sea wolf shot the squeaking fledgling out into a couple of inches of water, the tide was rising. The Matriarch rolled her abused tongue and squished seawater between her teeth… trying to lose the awful taste of tidal mud.

"NO!…You are a sky queen…I am a sea wolf!"

Without the direct contact the hatchling's indignant response was garbled, as if the little one was mumbling.

"NOT s-s-sky Queennna…mama is s-s-sea wolf….Iza s-s-ssea wolf!"

This was ridiculous! What had she been thinking?! The great whale shifted her bulk, preparing to return to deep water. There was no way this was going to work. Sea wolves were born of the water and dragons…they were creatures of flame and the open sky. The two of them had no business being together…all this was doing was confusing the little one. The dragonet realized what she was doing and it lurched forwards then stopped as the small wave the sea wolf's motion had raised slapped her. The elder got a full last look at the youngling as she completed her turn. The dragon's topaz eyes were sad and frightened, her undeveloped crest was flattened tight and her translucent, useless wings which had flared for balance, drooped until they lay shaking in the cold water. The little one's triangular head turned to look longingly at the safety of the beach, then she staggered forward, wading into deeper water, trying to follow.

"Mama….?" This soft little song was choked off as an incoming wave swept over the hatchling. Without thinking the female swung her body as the water lifted her, and turned her huge mass sideways, preventing the retreating wave from dragging the dragonet out to her death. As her belly settled back on to the shifting sand, the female blew a huge sigh of defeat…Leviathan SHIT, what had she gotten herself into!

"Listen little…pup…you cannot follow me here. Some…sea wolves…." her mind stuttered a little but she managed to spit it out "need to keep their fins on solid ground until they are older…take your fish and go back to the beach."

The dragon happily pounced on the one fish that had not gotten swept away, then spun to look back, golden eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Mama stay?"

"Yes… Pup….but I need to head for deeper water soon, a Tempest is coming. You need to eat and then get off of the beach until it passes. I will return then"

The baby screed in alarm. Both wings spread wide giving the Matriarch her first clear view of the damage done to the left one's primary and secondary flight scales. The little sky queen's response was panicked.

"How UP?…Pup can't air swim!"

The mother rumbled softly in anger at the sight of those crippling wounds. The one who had caused them was lucky she could not land walk!

"No little one, you cannot…ah…air swim, but you can climb. No matter what… after you eat you must go UP!"

"Up…. Up…UP! Mama say go UP!" The pale little dragonet waddled/swam toward the shore, dragging her fish with her. The Matriarch eased herself carefully off of the sand and moved towards the deeper water…even with the distance between them, she could still "hear" the melody as her odd daughter chirped to herself while staggering out on to the sand.

"Iza Sea wolf! Pup eat fish…then go UP!"

* * *

Thank you to all of you who have reviewed the last couple of chapters. I am dealing with the death of a daughter so have been preoccupied. I will answer them individually when I am in a better frame of mind.


	7. Chapter 7

This is a fanfiction. I make no profit from it. Square Enix holds all rights to the FFVII world and its characters. I own the rights to my original characters.

On the Wings of Trust Ch. 7

"Iza go up…go up…momma say up…." The little queen hung for a moment, all of her talons locked around miniscule rocky outcroppings and her wing hooks wedged into small cracks. The first part of the climb had not been too terribly difficult. Very soon though, the terrain had steepened and she could find no path. In no time, the dragonet was having to look for every little small claw hold, and sometimes it was just the two long "thumb" and index hooks at the wrist of each wing that held her weight as she scrabbled to find places to work her blunted , splintered finger and feet talons into. Craning her limber neck around, topaz eyes stared longingly back at the beach. It seemed a very long way down when you could not air swim and she was only about half way up. A soft whimper worked its way out of her long throat.

"Momma…Iza don't want to go up, up….Iza scared…."

A whistle echoed across the bay and the huge black and white form of Momma breached the surface, soared through the air and crashed back into the clear water, spraying it up huge rainbow arches. A tickle of warm encouragement made faint by the distance, moved through her mind.

"You must…pup….storm coming Iza….keep climbing….."

With a soft sigh the hatchling turned to look for her next claw hold. Her mutinous answer to the sea wolf's insistent command was breathed quietly into the rock as with a grunt she used the muscles that had evolved for her wings down stroke to hoist her body up a little until her front feet could get a precarious grip.

"Iza rather go down….down be easy."

The rock she was hanging on broke free and as the dragonet's body twisted, her injured wing lost its' tenuous grip. All four legs scrambled, as for a moment her right hooks were the only thing supported her whole weight. Gaining a grab hold, her narrowed golden gaze followed the rock's bouncing, crashing progress down….she gave a delicate shudder. DOWN was a whole heck of a lot faster too!

* * *

A soft warm breeze drifting across his exposed shoulders was the first thing that Vincent noticed as he rose to awareness. This in itself caused a slight twinge of anxiety, the ex-Turk NEVER left his skin exposed. The sight of its' scarred surface was a harsh reminder of what he had become. Of course…that would not be a problem right at the moment because the second thing the gunman noticed was that his world was now midnight dark and there was not a part of him that did not hurt. For a split second he had the irrational fear that somehow he was back in Hojo's clutches. The last time that Vincent had been in this much pain, was the last time he had experienced the agonizing touch of the insane scientist's scalpel. Fearing that the time he had spent with Avalanche had been a delusional dream…(lets face it, it would not have been the first.) the gunman slid his good hand out, sensitive fingers brushing lightly along the soft surface he was laying on. As he did this…several comforting facts became clear. He was laying on his side on a bed that was not familiar, not an exam table. There was a big, soft pillow propped against his chest and another behind his knees in order to keep him stable. His wrist hurt like a wicked bitch and it was wrapped, but he was not restrained.

Images flashed through his head and ex-Turk held still… trying to piece these bits and pieces together. He remembered waking in a strange room and panicking. The gunman also remembered fighting to get away, and he remembered strong hands breaking his wrist in order to prevent….Oh NO….the hands he had struggled against had not been the cold, cruel hands that he feared. They had been broad, rough, working hands and they had been trying to keep him from firing his gun. They had failed in this. Mother Gia…what had he done?! Without thinking, the man reached up, needing to pull the bandaging that was blocking his vision OFF…so he could see what damage he had caused. The abrupt motion turned his back into a raging monster, and as he sucked in a shocked breath, the fire that had been quietly smoldering in his throat and lungs, also roared into life, choking off his wind. He wanted to scream but was only able to cough and then gag on the foamy blood and foul tasting fluid that this brought up into his mouth.

"WHOA….shit!"

Warm hands on his shoulders accompanied the startled exclamation, then the choking ex-Turk felt a soft cloth pressed against his lips.

"Come on, Valentine…don't swallow that…spit it fucking out, then BREATH… damn it! Don't ya shitten make me give ya Gods be damned mouth ta mouth!"

Even through his pain, relief flooded Vincent's damaged soul. That was most definitely Highwind….he had not killed the man! The gunman did what he was told and spit the foul mix in his mouth out. He had to do this twice more before he was able to stop that racking cough. With remarkably gentle hands, Cid cleaned his lips and carefully eased him back until he was positioned back on his side. The gunman concentrated on trying to draw careful, shallow gurgling breaths. Every one that he took, sent a stab of flame through his throat and chest. Mother Gia…what was wrong with him and where the HELL was Chaos? A quick probe got a response that was almost as frightening as his physical condition. His eldest growled a hoarse…."GO AWAY HOST…." then the powerful being groaned and curled himself into a tighter ball of pathetically sick demon in the corner of Vincent's mind. The others made no sound at all. Well, this was just…interesting. It seemed that his quartet felt just as badly as he did. Valentine knew that this fact should be important to him but he just could not muster up the energy to really care.

* * *

Cid had been standing by the window, listening to the sounds of his crew as they worked to get the damaged prop changed. The control freak engineer in him would have preferred to wait until he could directly supervise the delicate work but the air dog in him could feel the change in the atmosphere. There was a storm coming. The Tempests in this region could be awe inspiring monsters. He most certainly did not want one of them to catch the airship on the ground. At least if they were sky bound when it hit they had the option of running ahead of it. He was hoping that it would just be a front moving through, but was hedging his bets and making sure things were tight in case they had to make a sudden run for it. For a moment his gaze turned to rest on his injured companion…he had thought about leaving him for a few, just to check on progress but had hastily disregarded that impulse. The pilot feared what might happen if he left Valentine's side even for a little while. The ex-Turk had not moved for hours and each breath he took seemed to be a struggle that his injured body might quit at any time. Highwind begrudged even the few minutes he stepped out in the hallway to get a progress report every couple of hours, although it did give him a chance to keep his nicotine addiction at bay. He did not dare light a smoke in the room when Vincent was fighting for each breath.

The airman was not sure if the gunman was awake when one pale hand slid carefully along the sheets but realized his error when the man froze and that hand reached up to try and yank the bandage off of his eyes. This ill advised movement had the gunman curled up in a hacking, choking ball before the Captain could take the three strides it took to get back to the bed. By the time he got there Vincent's lips had taken on a distinctly blue cast.

"Mother FUCKING Gia…come on Valentine…" The pilot was truly worried that this time, his ward was not going to be able to re-gain his breath. Actually the thought of having to give the ex-Turk mouth to mouth would not have been unpleasant…..except for the crimson and slick green that he was having to wipe off of those tempting lips. Cid's blue eyes narrowed and his hand stilled for a moment. What the HELL…?! Where had that errant thought come from? Lack of sleep must be catching up with him. NOW was certainly not the time for that…AND…there was NO way that he could find another man attractive…was there? Shit, he shoved the thought deep down into his mind….

sick or not, the man in the bed would fricken KILL him if he ever caught wind that the blonde was having THOSE kind of…inappropriate…thoughts.

After the spasm quieted and Vincent was settled back into the only position that Cid felt was halfway comfortable for him, the Captain shifted his chair a little closer and sat down. The ex-Turk's long, pale fingers twitched occasionally and the fact that he was taking extreme care with every breath he took told Highwind that he was conscious…good maybe he could get more than just a piddling potion into the man. Hell… it was almost impossible to get the man to eat or drink when he was healthy. This was going to be fricken fun!

Without thinking, Cid leaned forward and gently brushed a strand of the man's wild hair out of his face. Damned… he was fever hot. The Captain tried to ignore the way Vincent flinched at the unexpected contact and filed away the thought that he needed to warn before he touched.

"Hey…Bet yer throat friggin hurts…"

That mouth tightened and then one corner quirked up. Valentine tapped the sheets lightly with the fingers of his good hand. Sure…Cid had figured that that would be a fricken understatement.

"Do ya think you can drink something?"

The shrewd pilot interpreted the slow back and forth sweep of those fingers on the sheets and the very slight dip of that sculpted chin as if trying to hide behind a cowl…as an emphatic no!

"Yeah, I fucking figured you'd say that…Cloud told me I need to get some fluids in ya…said that if ya refused he would come and sit on ya while we run a gods be damned tube through yer nose so we can force it inta ya. Said you'd probably be real familiar with the whole shitten procedure…hummm? SOOO…I'll fricken ask again, just for shits and giggles…do ya want something ta drink?"

What he could see of Vincent's face tightened and those expressive fingers curled into a fist. Anger…good he would rather have the man angry at him than afraid of him. The hand relaxed as the gunman slowly released a small, careful sigh. Two fingers tapped.

"I kinda thought ya might see it my way."

Cid did not want to make Vincent move anymore than he had to. And he certainly did not want to prop the ex-Turk up. He did not think that the man's ravaged back could handle any kind of contact. Instead he had put his quick mind to work on how to get fluids into someone laying on his side. Using a straw he had requested from the galley, the Captain sucked a little tepid water up into it, then used a finger over the end to hold it in.

"Gonna touch ya Vince…open yer mouth." The pilot slipped the end of the straw between the reluctantly parted lips. Watching those lips close, the blonde realized that he had not considered that this seemed an awfully intimate way to get Valentine to drink. Well, there was no helping it, Cid slowly let the water dribble out.

"Take yer time…" Was his admonishment to the silent man. He needn't have said anything, Vincent held the mouthful for a long time, then Cid watched his fingers knot into the sheet as he swallowed.

"Hell…Sorry bout that…was either this way, Cloud's way or through a Gods be damned needle…figured it would take my whole damned crew ta pin and truss ya like a fricken chicken in order to get one of those in ya."

The man on the bed shuddered. Highwind sipped another small mouthful of water into the straw, and did not realize he smiled as Vincent opened his mouth more willingly this time.

"Yeah…speaking of which. I got some broth here that Aerith sent down. She put some stuff in it, said it would help with the pain. OR…. I got a syringe with enough shitten pain killer in it to put a damned SOLDIER out, courtesy of Chocobo Butt. Ya ain't breathing so good when you're asleep. I'll be here ta keep a fricken eye on ya but I don't think the shot would be such a great idea…tis up to you though, yer the one having to deal with the pain."

Vincent was perfectly still as he swallowed again. The blonde could almost see the man weighing his fear of needles against relief from the pain he had to be in. His hand unwound from the sheet and moved slowly from side to side. The fear of needles had won out.

Highwind gave a slight nod, although he knew Vince couldn't see it.

"Got it…broth it is…..

* * *

If asked a week ago if the little blonde was a closet sadist…Vincent would have answered an emphatic no. NOW…he wasn't so sure.

"Hey, this shitten stuff ain't half bad…come on Spook, open up."

Not just a sadist…. a manipulative, sneaky bastard of a sadist…Using his own fear of needles against him in order to force feed him. That was just…low. The gunman held the broth in his mouth, steeling himself against the agony of swallowing. The first mouthful was a surprise, it probably would have tasted good if his taste buds had not been fouled by the crap he had coughed up. It hurt as badly as the water to get it down, but after the third or fourth mouthful that his "companion" (and he was using that particular term loosely) forced into him, whatever the little Cetra had put in it kicked in, and the agony eased its' talons out of him a bit. It was enough that Chaos unrolled a little, and a soft sigh of relief echoed in the gunman's feverish mind. Then, the world spun and Vincent winced as he heard the sheet rip as both hands convulsively buried themselves in it. He got a brief vision of his eldest's head snapping up, shocked gold eyes wide, then they rolled back and the dark one melted into a puddle of unconscious demon. HOLY…there had been a few times that Hojo had been forced to sedate him when he lost control, the dosages required to knock Chaos down , let alone out, had been massive. IF he survived this….he was going to have to talk to Aerith. What in the nine hells had that girl come across in nature that was powerful enough to knock a demon out?! Well…. at least it did stop Highwind from forcing liquids past his lips….the pilot's startled exclamation as Vincent dropped off the deep end raised some interesting questions…..

"Vince!…are ya still with me? …Shiva's tits…are ya still breathing?"

He wasn't sure…..and…..at this point, really didn't care!

" Fricken Frog farts…what's in this shit?!"

Really….he didn't know the answer to that one, but whatever it was… it was…GREAT! Which left two VERY important questions rattling around in his very disoriented mind as it slid off at a tangent to shoot wildly out into the dark…..WHERE did the man come up with those off the wall phrases and….. do frogs fart?

* * *

Having been loaded to the eyeballs on Demerol more than once...I can verify that these types of thoughts DO run through your mind before you crash and burn!


	8. Chapter 8

On the Wings of Trust

CH. 8

"_**Deameonia…wake up…!" **_

Chaos curled in on himself…he did not want to wake up. Valentine's world was one of fever, illness and pain right at the moment. For the first time in their odd relationship, the demon Lord was sharing every minute of it. HE would much rather stay in the arms of oblivion that the Cetra had so blessedly provided.

"_**Irackia mer Arshad! Stubborn Deameonia…. you must wake up!" **_This tweaked his attention. If one could push a dragon into actually swearing, it was usually quite entertaining. Highwind would love it….Those words had not been around to blister the air for centuries. He growled softly,

"DRAGON…IT IS ANATOMICALLY IMPOSSIBLE FOR MY FATHER TO HAVE DONE THAT."

Then he waited…curious to see what the ancient beast would come up with next.

This was a mistake…there was soft, chiming rustle, the sound of metallic featherscales sliding against one another.

"_**We are at risk…Deameonia…get your ass up!" **_Something bit him HARD on his non existent butt…. _**"If you do not rise, I will bite your host next…one of you needs to wake!"**_

Well Hell…that wasn't as imaginative as the first had been, but it was certainly more effective. Chaos stifled his surprised yelp and rose.

"WHAT THE HELL…?" The demon rubbed the abused portion of his anatomy…great it wasn't as if he NEEDED one more pain to add to his misery. He growled at his "guest" trying to save himself some dignity. "DEAMEONIA IS NOT MY NAME."

"_**Neither is the one that has been given to you. Tell me ….CHAOS…will you give me your true name?"**_

Not a chance…someone digging up the key to his soul is what had trapped him in this human to begin with. _**"I thought not….you need to tell Skyheart that a storm is coming**_."

"HIS NAME IS HIGHWIND…AND I AM SURE THAT HE IS AWARE OF THE WEATHER."

"_**Highwind may be what he calls himself, but it is not his NAME. That one is more attuned then most to the power of the sky…he knows something approaches…but he is NOT a dragon, he cannot "feel" its' strength. This ingenious craft cannot storm dance with what is coming! Open your senses, child of the night…you cannot have been trapped in this body so long that you have become deaf to the wind?"**_

Bracing himself, Chaos pushed forward then cursed in distress, as he caught the full brunt of Vincent's condition. Still there was no helping it. Even with the heat of his Host's fever, he could feel the damp, heavy, foreboding pressure in the air. The saurian was right, there was a massive storm brewing. Forcing himself to reach past the pain and the disjointed fever dreams that were haunting his Host's sleep, the demon took up possession of his body without forcing a change. He could not see, but could hear soft even breathing beside the bed. Cid must have fallen asleep.

"HIGH…ARCK…" As the man had earlier, Chaos found that trying to talk triggered a world of hurt. As he coughed, then choked and gagged on the fluids this brought up, the demon wondered if it were possible for a human to actually cough up a lung and survive?

Cid was jerked out of the light doze he had fallen into…

"Huh…oh…DAMN!" Quick hands snatched up a clean towel and he winced as movement pulled at the cuts on his arm. This did not stop the blonde from pressing the cloth lightly against the other man's straining mouth.

"Same routine Spook…spit that shit out, don't fricken try n swallow it."

Maybe it was a good sign that this spasm did not seem to last as long…at least this is what the blonde was thinking until he rested a hand against a soft cheek. His mind would have dwelt on how unfair it was for a man to have such lovely skin if he had not snatched his hand away. HELL…it felt like one of the man's demons was trying to burn its' way straight out through the flesh.

"Mother Gia …Vince yer on fire!"

It only took a moment to go and get a cold wet cloth while the gunman just lay, trying to get his a wind back in shallow, careful rasps. The pale face turned into his hand, evidently finding some comfort in the coolness as the pilot carefully ran the cloth over the hot, dry forehead and cheeks. In a frighteningly short time, it too was warm and almost dry. Shit…another bathroom run and this time he brought an armful of cold cloths to place against the pulse points on inside of the ex-Turks scarred elbow and along that elegant neck. A shudder ran over the still form and the gunman stirred with a soft uneasy …hnn…as, very gingerly the Captain placed folded, cold, damp towels on the arterial pathways on either side of his groin.

"Sorry Vince…I'm not being fricken fresh with ya…gotta get that damned temp down."

Actually… his mind did take a quick dip into the gutter as he slid the cloths between the silky briefs and equally satin skin, using the elastic waistband to hold the compresses in place. It came slinking back out with a shit eating grin when he caught it there. What the FUCK was with the loopy thing?! He… liked… woman….so why did he feel as if he had gotten caught with his hand in the proverbial cookie jar when those pale lips hissed his name. OH… donkey balls…he snatched his hands away, that wasn't Vincent talking to him either. Even whispered and broken…Chaos' voice was distinctive. "HI…WIN…STORM COMING.!"

Clear blue eyes glanced out the window. The evening wind had kicked up and it carried the taste of ozone and rain.

"Yeah…looks like we got a little squall comin in."

Valentine's lean hand reached out and closed over his injured forearm. For a moment the grip was painfully tight even through the bandaging that he had wrapped around the gashes that Vincent's claws had made.

"NO, YOU DO NOT… JUST… LEADING EDGE…WHAT…?"

Those fingers loosened up and shifted, feeling carefully along the soft surface of the wrap.

" WE INJURED YOU?"

"Eh… its just a fricken scratch…was a gods be damned accident."

Actually… he had been forced to stitch a couple of the gashes closed…not a fun thing to do one handed. What he could see of Vincent's eyebrows rose, then pulled down and those pale lips twisted into a grim line…Cid watched in fascination….it was rare to see any expression cross that strangely beautiful face. Vincent was usually as demonstrative as a fricken stone. It seemed that his eldest demon had a more "expressive' nature. Finally, the thin upper lip lifted to expose slightly elongated fangs, as if the dark one found what he was going to say to be truly distasteful.

"WE…ARE TERRIBLY ILL. THE HOST MAY BECOME DELIRIOUS AS A RESULT OF THIS FEVER. IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA FOR YOU TO RESTRAIN US IN ORDER TO SAFEGUARD YOUR HEALTH."

Cid winced, cerulean eyes drifting over the still form of his companion. The Captain lifted his gaze to look out of the window…there was lightening dancing on the horizon and the breeze carried on it the deep rumble of thunder. For a long moment he just stood studying the sky…knowing in his heart that the demon was right. There was a huge storm brewing out there, he needed to get his ship up and out of here. Without thinking, his other hand lifted to rest lightly on the hand that gripped his forearm. His broad thumb stroked over the bracing wrap that hid the deep scars encircling that broken wrist. His gaze shifted to the sight of the other nasty trench that rode low on the long neck. Hiding that awful thing must be one reason the man always wore the high collared cloak. Cid shook his head, Valentine must have practically hung himself while struggling in order to make that deep a scar. It looked as if a wide noose had burned itself into the flesh there. This thought tipped the balance between concern for his own safety and the fragility of what soul was left to the gunman.

"Hmph…Its great ta know ya fricken care. BUT…." The man let out a soft sigh. The rest of the softly spoken answer was without Highwind's usual embellishment. " I just can't do that. I can't shake the feeling that tying him down might just break him. Ummm…sides I doubt restraints will help much if you all get involved?"

This last sounded almost casual but the listening demon could hear the unasked question. …if Valentine became delusional…. what of the demons he hosted?

* * *

Chaos could not believe his ears…the quiet compassion that rode the skyrider's words tugged at something in him that the dark one thought was long dead. He must be reacting to the overwhelming heat that was slowly cooking Valentine's brain. Of course…that was the problem. Still… it did lend credence to Highwind's concern. If he was already having problems keeping a clear mind, then there was a good chance that one of the more bestial three could break loose when this fever reached a crisis point. He reached silently for the only other occupant who might have the intelligence to intervene if things got totally out of hand.

DRAGON…IS THERE…" he was cut off before he could finish. It was odd that the ancient being's low answer carried in it, a trace of guilt.

"_**Do not ask…Deameonia…it is forbidden for me to interfere." **_

The dark one quietly waited, then was glad that the creature could not see his smirk when it blew out a soft breath and snarled… _**"FINE…if the need arises I will see what I can do…that is ALL I am promising."**_

Chaos' attention was brought back to the human at his side when strong fingers unconsciously tightened around Valentine's broken wrist. This was accompanied by the loud crack of close thunder. The demon swallowed very carefully, trying to get some moisture into his Host's aching throat.

"SKYRIDER, I REALLY DO NOT CARE, I JUST DO NOT WANT TO DEAL WITH VALENTINE'S GUILT. STILL…IN THIS YOU MAY BE RIGHT. GIVE US SOME MORE OF THE CETRA'S BREW AND GO FLY US THE HELL OUT OF HERE. THAT WITCH MIX SHOULD KEEP THE HOST DOWN UNTIL YOU CAN RETURN."

"Are ya sure?…That shit is damned potent."

"WE CAN HANDLE IT."

There was a brief silence, then a soft sigh…

"Hell…I really don't think it is a good idea ta leave Vince fricken alone but I need to be at the helm, at least until we get ahead of this Gods be damned front. Do ya think you can handle ole fire ass being in here with ya? At least if there is a shitten problem he can come and get me."

Chaos frowned at the man's seemingly callous disrespect for his companion, but the demon did turn this over in his head. Of all of this misbegotten group, the firedog was the one that his Host seemed the most at ease around. Hell…the beast was the only one HE felt comfortable with. Maybe because Nanaki being the last of his kind, was at least one thing that they had in common.

"THIS WOULD BE…ACCEPTABLE."

Chaos listened from his little world of misery as the man stepped away and contacted the others…there was what sounded like a brief argument…then, the blonde's rough voice rose in tired frustration.

"I didn't fricken ASK for your opinion, Cloud…it's my shitten ship! That means that I get ta make the Gods be damned decisions. No one but Red…is that fucking clear?! …Good."

There was a soft rustle as the Captain returned and sat on the edge of the bed.

"It'll be a few for he gets here…Hey… since YOU are the one awake…I need to get some more water down ya before I give ya the good stuff, Vince wasn't too terribly cooperative."

"UM HUM…the demon gingerly swallowed. "I DO NOT BLAME HIM… YOU ARE NOT GOING TO THREATEN TO SIT ON ME?"

"Heh…fat fricken chance! And that was Chocobo butts idea, not mine.…Ready? I'm gonna touch ya…"

Chaos reluctantly opened his Host's mouth as he felt the brush of the straw on his lips. This HIGHWIND was turning out to be a rare surprise. The pilot, through coercion and sheer stubbornness got quite a bit of the much needed fluid into him before finally relenting and switching from water to the Cetra's broth.

* * *

Red did not know what to expect when he walked into the Captain's quarters. He had seen the punishment that their crimson cloaked companion had taken saving Highwind, but had assumed that the man's demon enhanced flesh had dealt with it as it usually did. The sight of the quiet, competent ex-Turk lying curled motionless on his side, wrapped in thick layers of bandaging stopped him in his tracks just inside the door. His softly growled "Holy…" brought Cid out of the bathroom where the blonde had evidently been re-wetting cold compresses.

"Yeah…Fricken HELL of a mess, ain't he?!"

Nanaki padded softly towards the bed as the blonde quickly and efficiently replaced the cold packs. The beast, seeing that the gunman's eyes were also bandaged, huffed softly in warning before he nosed the fingers that were twisted into the sheets. Surprisingly they relaxed and opened so that he could nuzzle at the hand.

"Vincent…?" The beast's one eye rolled to look at Highwind… "Is he awake?"

Cid gave him an odd, tense smile… "Nope, that's tall, dark and fricken scary…Chaos woke up ta warn me about the damned storm that's comin. DON'T make him shitten talk, that can get fricken ugly."

Red's eye flew wide as the hand that was splayed under his muzzle cupped, and those long fingers curled, wiggled along the soft skin then sluggishly pulled on his whiskers.

At the firedog's incredulous expression the Captain snickered…

"I gave em some of Aerith's happy juice…he is probably feeling the demon equivalent of "totally shit faced" right bout now. Should crash like a brain shot chocobo any damned second."

Nanaki shifted his much abused muzzle away just as that hand slowly settled back to rest on the coverlet. Moving carefully so that he did not jostle the man, the firedog got on the bed and his sensitive nose hovered over the bandaging that covered Vincent's back. His ear flattened at the smell.

"Mother Gia, Captain this is…."

"Infected?…yeah I know…I can't figure out how ta get the friggin antibiotics inta him."

The beast's gaze flicked up and caught the desperate look that crossed the blonde's mobile face. The pilot eased himself tiredly down to sit on the edge of the bed.

"That's not even the half of it. Smell his breath…I think his lungs are in even worse fricken shape." Red carefully sniffed and winced at the miasma of corruption that wafted out on each of the unconscious gunner's shallow breaths. The firedog's heart froze as he realized that someone that everyone counted on as being pretty much indestructible, might just die right in front of him. This fact frightened him to the core. If Valentine could be killed… well, what chance did any of them have in facing what was coming. No wonder Cloud did not want anyone else seeing the ex-Turk downed like this. The young beast whimpered softly.

"Cid…I can't… I don't want to be here."

"Hell Red…I hate ta put this on ya…you're the only one he would allow to come. I gotta get the Highwind up and outta here before the bad part of this storm fricken steamrolls us. If Spook looks like he's having problems…you come and get me fucking A.S.A.P. I promise I'll come, no matter what…Kay?"

Feeling slightly ashamed, Red buried his face against Highwind's strong chest for a moment then he nodded. Cid ran his hands over his mane in a soothing matter then tugged lightly on one of his spirit braids making the small bells and beads entwined in it chime.

"Good…I figured I could count on ya. Just keep a fricken good eye on em."

He gave the beast's shoulder a final firm pat… and got up to leave…only to be stopped, as he reached the door, by Red's soft laugh…"hehehe I get it….a good eye…Captain…. that's not funny!"

* * *

Iza pulled herself up onto the shelf panting…then she whined as she looked around. There was still twenty feet of cliff up above her. She was on a cut back in the sheer wall of rock. Actually…it was quite a large space. Pushing herself to her feet, the little dragon moved away from the edge. Soft green grass rippled in the breeze coming up from the sea. A quick glance back and she could see mama's large form powering out into deeper water. So… now she was truly alone, at least for a little while. The breeze shifted and the smell of water had her head snapping back around. Iza stalked forward, her neck weaving and her muzzle turning every which way as she looked for the source. At the very back of the shelf, sheltered by several small tough trees, there was a clear rock lined pool being fed by a small waterfall that cascaded down from the top. Plunging her long nose in, Iza registered that it was cold and sweet, and she wasted no time in sucking up great mouthfuls of it. The hatchling drank so much that when she finally stopped and stepped away from the waters edge, she sloshed when she moved. Tilting her head back narrowed gold eyeballed the distance to the top. Well, she had come UP this far, she might as well finish the climb and see what was there.

Instinct made the little dragon cautious as she popped her head over the edge and look around before she levered herself to the top. There was a small open, grassy area that was bordered by tall trees. Large, brown animals were moving in the grass, using clever fingers to pull it up and stuff it into chewing mouths. The dragonet's immediate thought was…FOOD…as she bounced over the rim. Even though most of the creatures were at least three times her size…the whole troop broke in a screaming running mass for the trees. There was no chance of catching one…this still did not stop her from chasing, wings spread wide, long neck stretched as she hissed in excitement. This changed to a surprised squawk when a hail of branches rained down…along with large, squishy red globes that strong hand like paws threw with amazing accuracy. After several splattered her, Iza retreated in confusion, then watched in envy as the tree climbers launched themselves from tree to tree, gliding the longer distances on broad flaps of thin skin that stretched from wrist to ankle. THAT was just not fair! How come everything in this world seemed to be able to swim in water or air where she could not? Grumbling to herself, the dragonet nosed at one of the squished fruits. Her long split tongue flicked out for a taste. It was not the red, fleshy, heat she was craving, but it WAS rich and sweet. Iza pounced, and did not care that she splattered juice everywhere as she greedily ate.

When it became clear that she could not follow and that they were quite safe, the creatures settled to eat those same red globes, brown eyes curiously watching this new addition to their territory. Because she was young and a bit of a glutton (a draconian attribute) Iza was working on her fourth globe, even though her overloaded stomach was starting to protest, when pandemonium broke out in the treetops. Alarm calls and shrieks split the air and more branches rained down as THINGS that seemed all red eyes, gnashing teeth and sharp claws broke from the cover of the trees. The attackers were huge and Iza did not hesitate, she bolted for the cliff edge. Instinct overrode intelligence when long teeth snapped at her tail as the dragonet ran out of land. Flaring her damaged wings, the hatchling launched herself out into open air.

Only to wildly roll, as she overbalanced. Without the all important primaries on her left side, that wing had no lift. Pain knifed through the damaged wingtip and screeing…Iza instinctively tucked the maneuverable ends of both wings in, leaving only the broader flight surface that extended from her first flight finger to her body spread. With her aerodynamics changed, and the instability partially corrected, her fall slowed. The wide gliding surface of the lower part of her wings served as a parachute and her light body landed with a smack as she belly flopped into the shelf's deep pool.

Stunned, Iza just floated for a moment, listening to the beasts above snarling their frustration as they looked for a way down. A deeper roar shattered the darkening sky and the dragon's head shot up. The monsters above scattered, as a huge flying shadow came in fast on a too low trajectory. With a rumble of straining engines, it lifted just in time to clear the cliff, then it strafed the island as it flew on, running hard and fast ahead of the oncoming storm. Iza shrieked in fear and floundered to hide under the waterfall. The water was icy cold, but afraid to come out, the sky queen pushed through and suddenly broke free into a hidden space behind the curtain of water. Snorting and choking she pulled her small form onto a strangely warm crystalline shore. There was a flash of lightening, and the large cave was suddenly lit up as it reflected rainbow light back and forth in a dazzling display. The crystals that coated the walls and thrust up from the floor like great pillars, rang and chimed as they resonated with the vibrations of the thunder that followed.

Wide golden eyes watched in wonder as the beauty slowly faded, only to be re-born with the next bolt of wild lightening. Sore, tired and more than a little sick to her stomach, Iza listened to the howl of the strengthening wind outside then she crept deeper into the cave. Here the frightening things in the night could not get her. Here, at least for now, she felt safe. Curled against the warmth of the crystal and listening to its' magical chiming song as it answered the thunder, the little dragon drifted to sleep. Almost she could believe that she was back against a great body that, for a too short time had radiated heat, love and strength, one who had sang a sweet, sad song before disappearing from her young world forever.

* * *

He was burning to death. Every breath, every movement seemed to be coated in copper tasting agonizing flame. No world but this one of misery existed. His mind was a screaming, blazing whirlwind as it was overwhelmed by images of broken bodies, rivers of blood, and death. Worse then this, was a hideous pleasure that spilled over from the THINGS that dwelt within that wished to bring the sick fantasy to life. He did not know who he was or where he was, all he could remember as he fought…was that he must not let THEM loose, no matter the consequences.

* * *

The Scholar watched as the man's intelligent mind deteriorated into a maelstrom of fever induced nightmares. Still…ever mindful of the consequences for breaking the rules of its' existence, it did not move to interfere until the "other" three, crazed by that same sick heat, and for once, not under the control of the more powerful Deameonia, attempted to rise at once. A savage battle broke out in the Host's soul as the lesser beasts ruthlessly attacked each other and the mind that they resided in, in an all out bid to escape into the human's world. After just a very few minutes of trying to keep the damage contained, the Dragon realized that "Spooky" was in serious trouble. Rules be damned, the Saurian abandoned the fight for a moment and rose, seeking help from the outside world.

* * *

Red had begun to think that maybe…things were going to be alright. Cid had gotten the Highwind off of the ground and run hard and fast ahead of the storm. They had encountered a little turbulence as the Captain pushed for altitude but this had soon settled and they were now powering though a calm sky. He should be coming back soon. The firedog stood nervously as a soft moan came from the still form on the bed.

"Vincent…?"

When his soft question was not answered, the firedog approached, and sniffed carefully, wrinkling his muzzle at the heat that was rising in waves off of the ex-Turk. He jumped back as without warning the gunman started to thrash, tangling himself in the sheets. The moans became interspersed with frightening growls and snarls. Nanaki froze, ears flattened, unsure of what to do. His one eye widened as an odd mist seemed to form around the writhing man for a moment. OH Gods…the beast backed for the door then stopped as the mist changed and it looked for an instance as if twilight dark scales overlaid the gunman's pale skin. The voice that issued from between snarling pale lips had a lilting musical quality that the firedog had not heard before.

"Thantori….ahhhh…we have a problem in here, this can cause damage…. go…get Skyheart!"

* * *

Cid rolled his shoulders, trying to loosen hard, tight muscles. Damned…he was tired. They had gotten off of the island just in time…and it had taken a few hours of hard flying to get them far enough ahead of the storm that he felt the ship was safe. He motioned to his second to take the helm, and lit a cig as he headed back to his quarters. He contemplated just taking a minute or two to finish it as he approached the door only to forget that thought as Red came shooting out into the hallway. Shit…dropping his smoke the Captain ran for the room. The man didn't slow as sharp blue eyes took in the thrashing form on the bed…he just swooped down, rolled the ex-Turk tight in the sheets, picked him up bridal style and strode into the bathroom. He did not see Red's flaming tail disappearing out the door. With no hesitation, he could feel the fever heat that had to be cooking Valentine's brain rising right through the sheet, he got in and turned the cold shower on high. The gunman arched his lean body and Cid slipped in the slick tub as his balance was thrown off. They went down, Highwind landing hard with Vincent on top of him. The pilot just threw his arms around the other, pinning him against his body as what seemed like a seizure had the gunner jerking and writhing under the ice cold spray.

* * *

The Scholar knew that this man was going to kill himself trying to keep his demonic trio trapped within. It threw its' strength into the fight, tapping into as much of its' energy as it could spare. It also helped itself to what the incapacitated Eldest could spare, then it looked frantically for more. What it did find, came from a unexpected source. The very will of the man seemed to sense that the dragon was trying to help. In desperation, it gathered its fading strength, disengaged from the battle to keep the demons down and quite literally handed what was left to the ancient spirit. Thinking that its' Host's iron control had failed, the strongest of the three…rose…trying to break free.

* * *

Cid could feel the man's heart pounding like a jackhammer even through his wet shirt as the body in his arms bucked and twisted….

"Come on Vince…fricken fight it!"

His heart sank as malevolent purple light coalesced around them. MotherFuckingSonofa BASTARD… even with Red's help, the man knew he had no chance against ANY of Vincent's demons. Then, the light surrounding them changed, deepening to a twilight purple, at the same time it shifted to a less ominous feel. There was a sound like the soft ringing of wind chimes and a ghostly, vaguely serpentine form suddenly appeared twisting around them in the shower's mist. Great, transparent wings flared wide causing the water droplets to waltz in unseen currents and the air hummed and danced as it was filled with a thrumming song. Highwind swore softly, magic was not his specialty but even he could feel the power that was riding on those notes. The apparition shot straight up into the air, turned in upon itself, folded those gossamer wings, and dove like a bullet right down through Vincent's heart. It sucked all of the light back in with it when it disappeared into the man's heaving breast. The struggling ex-Turk stiffened, shuddered, then slowly relaxed into the arms holding him. Mother Gia, one broad hand reached up, fingers fanning out across the gunman's pale, scarred chest, as Cid quickly searched for a heartbeat…ah…there it was and it was starting to slow. The two men remained motionless in the driving cold water for what seemed a very long time. Then, the ex-Turk stirred with a soft cough….hnnn…."Cid….c-c-cold."

"Yeah, no f-f-f-fricken kidding. See if ya c-c-can stand it another m-m-minute or two, then I'll get us the hell out."

Those couple of minutes turned out to be a mistake. The pilot had only managed to catch a few minutes of sleep in over twenty four hours and had been stressed the whole time he was awake. Between his exhaustion, bruised muscles caused by the fall and the freezing cold of the shower, when he went to rise, his strength failed him. He just had time to mutter "SHIT" after the first failed attempt when Valentine's limp body was suddenly plucked from his lap.

"What…the fricken hell?!"

Struggling, the blonde was trying to push himself groggily up when remarkably strong arms pulled him bodily out of the tub and wrapped him in a soft warm blanket. Cloud's usually soft voice was hard and terse as he manhandled the stocky pilot into the chair beside the bed.

"Shut up CAPTAIN…." A hot cup was shoved into his shaking hands…. "Just SIT there and drink your damned tea!"

Cid obediently took a sip of the hot fluid and just about choked. Cloud had been more than generous with the strong whiskey he had doctored it with. Still, it sent a welcomed flush of warmth through his frozen body. The pilot took another sip and just watched as the swordsman, quickly and efficiently cut the wet bandages away from the gunner's body. Cid held his breath as Valentine flinched at the ex-Soldier's touch and his good hand clenched into a fist. Cloud ignored the man's paranoia and as he worked, their usually quiet, rather conflicted leader spoke in steady, low tones that warned that there would be no arguing with him. For a moment…Cid could see the incredible strength that had gotten the younger man through the horrendous shit that life had thrown at him.

"Be STILL Valentine…I am going to change these, then check your eyes. YOU are going to be quiet, do what I tell you and swallow what ever I give you…got it?"

Highwind's eyebrows shot up as the gunman stiffened, then reluctantly gave a slight nod.

"GOOD…here Highwind, help hold him up."

The pilot hastily put his cup down when Cloud easily pulled Valentine upright and positioned him so that Highwind could brace him up while he was re-wrapped. The swordsman was surprisingly gentle as he did this…but a soft …hnnn… from deep in the ex-Turk's chest and the slight tightening of the hands on his shoulders told the Captain that Vincent was very awake. This was verified when the man carefully cleared his throat and haltingly whispered,

"And here… I thought you were the control… freak, my…sincerest apologies!" Cid smiled and whispered back …

"yeah… no fricken kidding!"

They both snickered at the softly growled…."I can hear you"… that this elicited from the swordsman.

The man finished tying the last wrap and he picked up a cooling cup of tea as he came around to the front. Cid pushed Vincent away from himself a little so that Cloud could hold the cup up to the man's lips.

"This is going to sting going down…but it should numb your throat up."

Highwind braced himself as the gunman took a sip, swallowed and promptly succumbed to a gasping, choking coughing fit.

The Captain snatched a cloth….

"Stings my ass…kicks like a Gods be Damned mule…doesn't it?"

The dark head nodded as the man spat what he had coughed up out. To Cid's eyes there seemed to be less blood in it, but Cloud winced at the nasty red shot green that the opened cloth revealed. The swordsman forced Vincent to drink from the cup until he seemed to be swallowing with less difficulty.

"You need to cough that up as often as you can stand it…"

The blonde rose and picked up a spoon that was full of what looked like applesauce. He crushed the pill that accompanied it and sprinkled it on thick.

"Here…. open your mouth." To Cid's surprise, the ex-Turk obediently did as he was told and made then a face at the bitterness of the mix…

"Yeah…. sorry about that…antibiotic's are usually pretty nasty…it should help with the infection though…" Long fingered hands carefully removed the wet bandage from around the equally wet raven head and the blonde knelt so he could clearly see Valentine's lowered face.

"Can you open your eyes?"

The blonde hissed softly as he got a good look as the damaged eyes tentatively opened. They reflexively closed when the swordsman flashed a small flashlight into them. Cloud smiled,

"You saw that, didn't you?"

An odd look of relief crossed the gunman's usually inexpressive face, his hoarse answer was hopeful.

"Yes, just shadow and light."

Gentle hands applied a new wrap.

"That is better than nothing. I think we should keep them wrapped a little longer. Do you want some more pain killer?"

Cid sympathized when Vincent seemed to hesitate…then shook his head…no…the almost loss of control must have truly frightened the man.

"Okay then…if you change your mind just ask. Come on, you can lay back down now."

Cloud helped ease the man back down onto his side, covered him with a clean sheet, then he stood, ran his hand through his spiky hair and gave the other blonde a hard look.

"Finish your tea Cid…then get some rest…Red will stay and wake you if there is a need."

As the slim form of their leader reached the door he turned and stabbed a finger at the pilot… "YOU will call me down when those bandages need to be changed again or if you need ANYTHING!"

The boy's vivid blue eyes lit up with a flash of mako that echoed the anger present in the slightly raised voice.

"And you Valentine…if you can't trust ALL of us to have your back in this…what is going to happen when we catch up to Se…," the blonde faltered here and then he continued in a quieter tone…."when it truly matters? I want you to THINK about that."

* * *

_Getting back into the swing of things... Thank you to all who have taken the time to review...it does wonders for my morale and my motivation._


	9. Chapter 9

OKAY...This is pretty much my last easy chapter...from here on we are done with re-posting and back to WRITING! SOOOO be patient. There may be some time between postings now. This is a fanfiction I make no money from it...(although believe me I have thought hard and long about taking Iza's story and writing a stand alone original... BUT I could not do it...she informed me that SHE is an integral part of THIS story and she was not going anywhere else! Dratted dragon!) Square Enix holds all rights to the FFVII world and its characters...I own the rights to my original characters.

On the Wings of Trust

CH. 9

As the door closed firmly behind Cloud's trim form, Cid slanted a hard look at Nanaki. The firedog flattened his ears and tried to look innocent. It did not work. The Captain growled…

"Fricken tattletale!"

The beast's one eye narrowed in indignation. Then their young companion seemed to droop.

"I am sorry, Captain…I was afr…" Red caught himself and the look he gave the still form on the bed was an odd mix of guilt and apology… "ummm….worried about you."

Cid winced at the firedog's slip of tongue and he did not miss as the gunslinger's fingers tightened themselves into the sheets. Damned…the last thing that Valentine needed was to think that they were afraid of him. Knowing this, Cid did something that was very rare for the outspoken flyer, he winked at the anxious youth then lied through his teeth.

"Hell…no reason ta be worried. I had things damn well under control. Still, I doubt I coulda gotten us outta the shitten tub on my own…Since ya don't have any Gods be damned hands I figure ya just did what ya thought ya fricken had ta. I won't nail ya for mutiny…this time."

Blue eyes took in the slight relaxation not only in the youth's tense body, but also the surprisingly expressive hand on the bed. The captain stretched and winced as his back protested the movement…He needed to get out of these wet clothes before his muscles stiffened up too much to move. Smacking down hard in a cold bathtub with a couple of hundred pounds on top of him wasn't something he wanted to do again any time soon. (Although…a hot tub with that long, strong body UNDER hi…SHIT!) Cid ran a hand over his face and gave the doctored cup of tea a suspicious glare! DAMNED…as cold as he was THOSE type of thoughts should be the last thing crossing his mind. Stifling a soft hiss, the Captain slipped out of his pants and wincing, carefully pulled his shirt up and off. Red rumbled a little in sympathy as this revealed the beginnings of dark bruising along his one side. Cid looked up as Vincent shifted his weight at the slight sound. The gunman's pale lips thinned and pulled tight at the pain this small movement caused. Crap! He had forgotten how sensitive the man's hearing was. It would not take much for the gunman to put two and two together as to what had just about happened. Maybe he could nip this in the bud before it even started.

"How ya feeling there… Spook?

* * *

Vincent used all of what he had learned about dealing with pain under Hojo's cruel scalpel and managed to override his body's "OMG…kill me now" reaction to the agony that every small movement caused. The gunman had no idea of why he had wakened wet and cold with the Captain's strong body cushioning him in the bathtub. All the ex-Turk could drag out of his aching mind was a whirling nightmare of pain, fire and oddly, hauntingly beautiful music. BUT… he did not need his vision to recognize the emotional undercurrents in the discussion occurring between his two "caregivers" Something had happened that had frightened their young companion badly and Highwind was trying to hide the fact. Not wanting to trigger a coughing spell, the ex-Turk answered the pilot's question in an almost whisper.

"I am "feeling" thoroughly chastised and terribly…confused. I would like to know what happened that Nanaki felt it was necessary to sic Cloud on us? And Highwind…" He cocked his head, listening to the Captain's uneven steps…"I would very much like to know why you are limping?" He heard the man freeze…then,

"FRICK…This is like trying to sneak around a Gods be Damned bionic BAT! I'm limping cause I slipped in the shitten bathtub and with yer heavy ass on top of me, I couldn't get us back up. Red called Cloud in ta help us out for we froze ta death, or dro…"

Vincent cut him off and although the words were soft…the tone in which they were said was not. "Nanaki…I would like the WHOLE truth….please."

He heard the firedog shuffle his feet, then there was a soft puff of air on his face as the beast approached and then sighed. "Sorry Captain…Vincent, you became delirious due to your fever and one of your demon's tried to slip its' leash. I ran to get Cloud when I thought Cid was going to get hurt."

The gunman felt his heart freeze, Mother Gia…how could he have let this happen!? "Did I injure…" He felt the bed settle a little as Highwind sat on its' edge.

"Naw…ya didn't hurt anyone, somehow ya managed to wrestle your "guest" back where he belongs. I really did fall trying ta get ya in the fucken tub, then I got cold holding ya there ta bring yer fever down. I am just a bit bruised and a little stiff is all."

GODS…Vincent tried to pull his cold stiffened muscles and fever scattered mind together, he needed to get out of here before he truly hurt someone. All he managed was to lift himself a little on to his elbows then he had to sag back down as his body betrayed him. He felt Highwind's strong hand close gently over his good one…and he flinched…

"Hey…the important thing to remember here is that even though ya were flat outta yer mind, ya somehow fricken managed to contain the beast. Ya need ta just trust in yerself…and more importantly, trust in yer friends…we'll get ya through this." The blonde hesitated as if weighing his words…then "And ya gotta stop flinching when I fricken touch ya, yer gonna hurt my feel goods, its' not like I'm out ta get ya!"

Vincent managed a soft snort… "That's not it Highwind…I am already chilled and your fingers are like ice!"

The hand moved, and oddly, Valentine found that he missed the soft touch.

"Do ya think yer back can handle the weight of a blanket?"

Just the thought of something brushing that damaged flesh made him want to twitch. The gunman just shook his head a little and tried to curl a little tighter into himself.

He felt the bed shift again, then Highwind lifted the edge of his sheet.

"Well Hell…Here…" Vincent froze as he felt a naked body slide into the bed in front of him. "I'm goin to lay here and you can jest spoon yerself around me as best ya can without hurting yerself. Lift yer arm a little." Stunned, the gunman obeyed the soft voice without question. He felt a broad, warm back shift until it was almost against his chest.

"There, now just lean yer weight up against me, bet it helps ease yer damned back. Ya can rest yer arm on my waist or my hip." Gingerly, the gunman settled his arm carefully over the pilot's strong ribcage. The man jerked, and Vincent almost pulled his arm back only to have his wrist caught in a gentle grip. The gunman had to step hard on the panicked reaction that had him wanting to fight even that slight restraint. Cid gave a light tug as he tensed as if in silent understanding then released him, patting the bandaging that swaddled his damaged wrist.

"Its' okay, leave it there, yer just fricken cold is all. Hey Red, get yer shaggy ass up here and lay behind Vince. Tween the two of us, we should be able ta feel if his damned fever is getting outta hand again."

The bed dipped and a gentle heat enveloped his aching body from behind as the firedog stretched his bulk out behind the pair. In just moments, the warmth from his …friends…(the use of this simple word made what was left of his heart ache…it had been a very long time…) had the gunman's cold muscles slowly relaxing. This, the alcohol that Cloud had forced down him, and his general exhaustion slowly lulled him towards the escape that sleep offered. Just before the gunman let oblivion claim him, Highwind stirred, the man's rough voice was already slurred a little by sleep.

"Hey Spooky…ya got anything in ya that's… um ya know, fricken…dragonish?"

"Dragon…ish? No, Cid…well, Chaos maybe…why?"

"Oh, no reason…just friggin curious is all."

* * *

Iza swam through her waterfall and hissed in displeasure as cold rain continued to pour water down on her on the other side. Snorting to clear her four nostrils, the dragonet paddled over to pull herself out on to the shelf. The wind and lightening had finally tapered off early that afternoon, and twenty four hours without eating had finally forced her out of her warm dry cave. A quick peek down at the cove convinced her that mama would NOT be returning any time soon. The ocean still churned and powerful waves rose to crash against the towering cliff's stony flanks. There would be no fish or crunchy crawlers today. Her jewel like eyes turned to study the rock wall. It would be a wet and slick climb, maybe she would just wait. A loud growl from her belly startled her and Iza craned her long neck around to give it a dirty look. She had put off feeding the demanding thing as long as she could. With a soft sigh, the little female started up the rocks…maybe the tree gliders would throw some more squishy globes down for her to eat.

Not forgetting the monsters that had chased her, Iza cautiously poked her head over the cliffs edge before pulling herself up. The tree dwellers were out in the rain, clever fingers digging in and underneath the grass. Evidently what ever they were harvesting was well worth being wet and cold. Also, it seemed, well worth the risk of staying put as she slowly approached. Wise brown eyes watched though and if the hatchling pushed to close into personal space, the wary creatures would bark a warning at her and casually move to maintain a safe distance. It did not take her quick mind long to figure out that she was NOT going to be able to sneak close enough to jump one, and even if she did luck out, the creatures were big enough to hurt, even kill her, if they did not wish to be eaten. Still, Iza got close enough to see the odd shaped brown fungus they were digging up, and eating with gusto. Grumbling a little…something told her it was "undignified" for a sea wolf pup to be grubbing around in the dirt… the little dragon copied what she saw and in no time she had a rough, earthy smelling mushroom all her own. Thin lips wrinkled back as she tentatively nibbled the musty, muddy thing. Her amber eyes flew wide at its sweet, almost meaty taste and a quick snap of long jaws had the whole thing crammed into her mouth, cheeks ballooned out as she chewed while her strong hand like front feet dug greedily for more. Even with the soft rain saturated earth, it was slow going. Climbing and digging were not what her "hands" were intended for and it did not take long for her talons to be broken back to the quick. Iza was hurting and tired after digging up just three of the goodies and her stomach was not near full. As she rested, the young dragon watched her fellow diggers, trying to figure out a way to catch an easier meal. All of the young, small (tender, she was sure!) ones were closely watched by their mothers and the adult males of the group. She had a feeling that a try for one of them would have her ripped limb from limb in less time than it took to draw a breath. One though, hovered miserably around the edge of the group. This youngling was smaller then the rest and ragged looking…he seemed to have no mother to watch over him. As a matter of fact, when he did manage to find a fungus to eat…one of the larger of the group usually took it away from him. Iza slowly and carefully started to work her way closer. The young male was busy digging and he did not notice her cautious stalk. Neither did the larger one who was also sneaking up on the youngster intent on stealing whatever he found. As the little one straightened up, prize in hand the older charged him, barking and popping long three inch fangs together. Surprised, the orphan screamed, and ran…he did NOT drop his prize until he blindly ran smack into Iza. Caught off guard, she reared up wings flaring wide and was almost knocked over backwards as the small body thumped into her muscled chest. The big male, who was hot in pursuit, slid to a stop as the dragon rose to her full height, mantled her wings to make herself look larger and forced air out through her chambers in a ear piercing shriek. The beast wisely decided that the mushroom wasn't worth it and he turned away leaving the smallest member of the troop to its' fate.

Iza dropped back down hissing as her blunted claws dug into her prize. Her long narrow tongue licked out, tasting across the shaking young one's soft, wet fur. Her open jaws snapped reflexively shut, as like with Mama, the physical contact allowed emotions and images from her victim to assault her open and receptive mind. Fear, was the foremost, but it was underlined by hunger, exhaustion, and something that the little dragon was very familiar with…a crippling loneliness. Whining in frustration, she tapped what was SUPPOSED to be her dinner with an inquisitive muzzle, trying to elicit a reaction that would give her an excuse to kill it. The orphan just curled itself into a pathetic tight ball. It reminded the hatchling of how she had desperately curled up on Mama's broad tongue…and SHE had not been eaten. Sighing…the dragonet folded her wings and backed away from the sad little creature…no matter her hunger, she could not make herself eat something that reminded her of…herself. The hatchling dug half heartedly at the ground…maybe she would just return to her cave until Mama returned.

Out of the corner of one eye the dragonet saw the orphan slowly sit up and scoot a couple of feet away. It stuffed its' hard won mushroom into its' mouth and eyed her warily as it chewed. Iza growled softly, some sea wolf she was turning out to be, the least she should have done was gotten that mushroom. Her stomach growled its agreement with her, and she flopped belly down in the grass, bound and determined to feel sorry for herself. Golden eyes closed as the late afternoon sun broke through the clouds, its' feeble warmth was a pleasure as the rain slowed to a drizzle. They sprang back open as something bumped her nose. A fat fungus rolled a couple of inches away as she drew her head back to look at it almost cross eyed. A quick glance confirmed that her former dinner was busily digging away a few feet from her, his intelligent brown eyes occasionally shooting her quick glances to see if she was going to accept his gift. Not moving so as not to scare him away, Iza ran her long tongue out, wrapped it around the morsel and pulled it back into her mouth. Her head snaked up as she chewed, avidly watching those clever hands as two more mushrooms were dug up. One was quickly crammed into the young male's mouth, the other was, again, rolled her way. When more were dug up, another male noticed and came charging in, trying to run the orphan away from his prime spot. Iza rose out of the grass and launched herself over her cowering companion. The elder beast ploughed his face into the dirt trying to stop as a hissing, winged demon appeared where the easy pickings had been, its' long neck snaking a wedge shaped head through the air. Narrow, long fanged jaws snapped together not inches from his tailed ass, as status forgotten, the male turned and ran.

Iza snorted…the big coward…and turned, fully expecting that her new found friend had also run. Instead, she found the little male directly beside her, he was already chewing his prize as he slowly reached out, her share offered up on one dirty little palm. It was daintily plucked off, the dragonet using care that not a single tooth touched the skin on that proffered hand. With a soft smacking of mouth and lips, the little male went back to his digging…while Iza stood tall and proud, evil eyes, mantled wings and bared fangs making every member of the group very aware that the smallest amongst them had found himself a champion.

* * *

The sound of the Highwind's engines powering down pulled Cid out of the first real sleep he had enjoyed since landing on that cursed island. There was a moment of confusion at the warm form pressed against his back and long legs intermixed with his own. The Captain was not used to sharing his bed. Then a soft cough followed by a low breathy, moan as Vincent shifted a little brought his memories of the night before screaming back. HOLY shit…he was in bed with another man! Granted the impulse that had him offering up his body heat for the chilled gunman last night had been born out of need, Cid was not one hundred percent positive that his motives had been entirely innocent. The feel of the strong, albeit injured, body pressed close behind him and the soft breaths that stroked the back of his neck, had "things" stirring that had no business responding to another male. Something about this thought niggled his attention and he listened closely. He realized with relief that although Vincent's breathing was still rough and a little shallow, it held the cadence of true healing sleep, not the frightening unconsciousness that the gunman had sunk into before. A quick glance out the window confirmed that they had been out for quite a while. Thank the fricken GODS, Valentine was still deeply asleep else the long fingers attached to the arm draped gracefully over his waist might just feel the heat that had started to gather lower down.

The pilot "felt" as the airship started a slow turn…this had him shaking off the last little bit of drowsiness. He NEEDED to get his ass up! There was a good chance that this change in direction was just a command decision by Cloud, still as Captain he needed to be brought up to speed on what was going on. The gunman's arm tightened slightly as Cid slid his compact form away from the sleeper's heat. There was still fever there, but it seemed to be maintaining at a manageable level. As Vincent stirred and re-settled without waking, Red's head popped up on the other side. The beast's one eye blinked sleepily as Highwind gently disentangled himself and eased out of the bed. He lifted one finger to his lips and crooked the other towards the bathroom. By the time he had finished his morning business and was slipping into his clothes, the firedog had worked his way off of the bed in order to meet him at the door.

The pilot knelt beside his young companion, "I'm goin to go see why we're changing our damned course, then I'm gonna scrounge up something for us to eat. Hopefully Vince will stay the hell asleep til I get back."

Red nodded, and looked back at the bed, "Whatever Cloud gave him last night, it is helping. His back and breath do not smell as "tainted" this morning. We will be okay until you return."

Cid smiled at the new found confidence he heard in the firedog's whispered voice. The fear that had almost overwhelmed the youth last night was gone. He gave the broad head a gentle pat… "You did real good Red…I can't thank ya enough for disobeying my orders last night." His blue eyes were laughing as he straightened up and shook his finger at the beast. "Doesn't mean ya can make a fricken habit of it though!"

Red's lips lifted in a fierce, tooth showing smile… "I would not think of it, Captain."

* * *

Vincent wasn't sure what woke him up, it could have been the muted pain, a need to cough, or the sudden awareness that the bed was suddenly not as warm as it had been. Once he was awake though, one basic need made itself very clear. Highwind had been forcing liquids down him and those liquids were now, quite naturally, looking for a way out. He shifted carefully…. "Highwind?"

There was a soft puff of warm breath on his hand…WHICH certainly did not help the situation!

"The Captain had to leave for a moment…can I get something for you, Vincent?"

Ah…that would be Nanaki.

"Um…I need to…get to the "necessary."

"The what…?"

Great, although the beast's confusion did lead the man to wonder, how did Red take care of those… natural… bodily functions while on board the ship? Hell…he would just have to be direct.

" I need to get to the bathroom, Red…"

"OH…right now?" Vincent could almost see the wheels turning in his young Keeper's mind.

"Yes…Nanaki…the sooner, the better."

Again warm breath ghosted across his hand…he pulled it back, if the firedog went so far as to lick it, they would have a problem "OKAY…Red… try not to do that again!"

"Sorry….Do you think you can move well enough to lean on me while I guide you?"

"I can most certainly try."

Stealing himself against the pain he knew moving was going to cause, the gunman carefully pushed himself up. As he drew his legs up to swing them over the edge of the bed, Vincent was surprised and relieved when he felt his eldest demon stir and the sharpest edge of the pain was quietly muted. "Mother Gia…thank you Chaos…"

The demon chuckled darkly…"Don't read to much into it Host, I just don't want to end up laying in a wet bed!"

Although the words were sarcastic, there was just a hint of surprised pleasure underlying the dark one's rough tone. As the man just sat for a moment, gathering his strength, he realized that as many times as his demons had pulled his and the other's asses out of the proverbial fire, this is the first time he had ever thought to thank one of them. Shaking, he really could put this off no longer, the ex-Turk pushed himself up, hissing as even with his demonic help, his back screamed at him in protest. It was joined by a shout as the cabin door opened.

"What the hell ya doing Spook?!"

Vincent did not hesitate… "Bathroom…NOW…Chief!"

"OH, HELL…!" The gunman felt a strong arm slip around his waist as he was enveloped in the smell of leather and old smoke. "Gotcha…just lean on me and I'll friggin get ya there."

Cid maneuvered them into the small room and carefully lowered his ward until he was sitting. When he spoke his gruff voice had a strangled sound.

"Gonna sit ya down Vince. I think this is some "thing" you would rather…handle…yourself!"

"Highwind!…that is awful…"

He heard the man back out of the room all the while unsuccessfully trying to stifle his snickers. "S-s-orry Vince…couldn't help myself…I am just damned glad to see ya up and moving. Give me a whistle when yer done."

A half hour later found a tired, hurting ex-Turk propped up in the Captain's bed, freshly wrapped, fed, and washed. Vincent was confused when Cid carefully wrapped one of the pilot's own clean shirts over his bare shoulders. His good hand lifted, fingers carefully exploring the soft denim. Highwind sounded…apprehensive.

"Um…I figured you would want to be covered…I gotta go run some system checks fore we land and one of the others is gonna come down an keep ya company while I am gone."

Vincent froze, Cid had not used a single swear word… "Highwind…" A horrible suspicion formed in the ex-Turk's mind as he heard the man sneaking towards the door… "Which "other?"

He winced as he heard Cid admonish the person coming through the door. "Keep yer fricken hands offa my damned stuff, Brat…and DON'T be tiring him out!"

Chaos softly growled… "I am going to feed him to Galian one itty, bitty, LIVING piece at a time!"

The gunman was inclined to let him…this must be Cid's revenge for him almost having shot the man. Seemed a little extreme from where he was sitting. There was a rustle as Yuffie hopped into the chair beside the bed.

"Hiya Vin Vin…" He was going to growl at her that his name was Vincent…when her next soft words stopped him cold. "I thought you might be bored…not being able to see and all…I brought a book…do ya want me to read it to you?"

For a moment Vincent drew a blank…even Chaos was caught off guard. It was such a sweet, honest offer that the ex-Turk wondered if that really was Kissaragi sitting there. The girl sighed… "Look, I can go get Red to come back if you would rather…" He could hear the hurt in those quiet words…and it drove home what Cloud had been trying to tell him…

"If you can't trust us to have your back in this…what is going to happen when it really matters…"

His answer was delayed and he felt Yuffie start to rise. Reaching out blindly, his fingers brushed then caught the girl's thin wrist.

"No, don't leave Yuffie. I would be most… grateful… if you will read to me."

* * *

By the time the sun had started to set…Dinner had dug up enough mushrooms that, were as Iza's belly wasn't full, it was at least not growling at her. When the rest of the group started for the trees, her little companion moved to follow then turned to see if she was coming. There was no way the dragonet was going to spend the night out on a limb. She made her way back to the cliff edge, checked to see that she was lined up with her pond then jumped out to parachute down. This time there was no panic driving her and the hatchling found that by shifting her weight and tilting her spread tail, she had a small amount of control. Her water landing was not graceful, but at least it did not have the bone jarring impact of the night before. As she paddled her way under the waterfall, Iza did not see a small shadow work its' way over the cliff edge and down until it could scamper across the ledge and find a nest in one of the stubby trees at the edge of the pool.

Iza curled up at the base of the same crystal she had slept against before. Tonight the cave was silent and dark, and the little dragon felt very alone. Lifting her wedge shaped head she expelled a breath through her reverberation and buffering chambers. She sang a high sweet note and did not stop when one of the crystals dimly lit and then answered her in a octave lower. For a moment a soft chord echoed in the night air. Cocking her head, Iza let the note fade, and sang out another note, two steps down. A second crystal answered, this time the dragonet engaged her air chambers and held the chord as she sang a third note and was answered. The cave shimmered and thrummed as she wove a simple song, the crystals lighting up one by one to harmonize and then sing out a reply.

* * *

Far out on the edge of oblivion, something ancient and vastly powerful cocked its' mighty head. For a moment its attention turned away from the stars and focused back to a world almost forgotten. A simple song, barely heard, but still a first beacon was being sent out into the cold and dark. The great beast thrummed softly to herself and out of instinct she sang out a query. Is it time, is it safe…. May we return out of the lonely deep, can we come…home? Falling silent, she waited, trying to still the small hope that stirred in her double hearts. Again the soft song chimed in her mind, YES…it did come from an Innocent, but the sweet tones still held no meaning…this was not an answer.

Tilting her massive primaries, the traveler turned her attention back to absorbing raw energy as she rode the solar wind of a star with no name. Exiles by necessity, they waited for a beacon in the dark that never came. So… she would continued to soar through the empty cold as she had done for millennium. Occasionally, as now, the beast would fly past great gas giants and rarely, a warm welcoming world to re-charge herself on the power of a blazing sun. She never succumbed to the temptation to land on these young planets, no matter her weariness. This would be breaking the Pact. Always she remembered that she carried her world's last hope. Instead, she would dip into the warm soft atmosphere just to remember the feel of true wind under her mighty wings, and the smell of fresh air passing through her four nostrils. Then she would rise, heading back out into the dark and cold. All the denizens of these worlds would see if they deigned to look up, was the shadow of a lost Queen as she passed through their starlit skies, never stopping to rest, never turning for home.

* * *

Again...to some this will seem almost as if I am writing two stories. And to a certain extent...I am. There is a parallel being created here and eventually both sides of this will be drawn back together. As always..your reviews and comments are greatly appreciated.


	10. Chapter 10

This is a not for profit fanfiction. I make no money from it. Square Enix holds all rights to the FFVII world and its characters. I am just playing with them for a while. You may have noticed that there are few things so far that are not quite canon. This will happen off and on through out the story as I take full advantage of creative license. ;) I shall try to keep these incidents to a minimum.

On the Wings of Trust

Ch. 10

Iza craned her long neck, angling her head so that she could look down into the cove. The water was as still as glass, there was no excuse for her NOT to head back down to the beach. No excuse that is except the steep, rocky cliff side that the hatchling would have to negotiate to get down. Belly flopping into her pool was one thing…the sudden stop at the end of this long fall was something entirely different! A soft rustling behind her had the dragonette's head snaking around. Jaws that had opened wide in a defensive hiss, snapped shut in surprise as Dinner glided out of one of the trees that stood by her pool. The scruffy little male paused for a moment to get a drink of cool, clean water then he very nonchalantly ambled up alongside her to peer over the rocky edge. Intelligent brown eyes slanted her way, then turned back to study the way down. Iza blinked as without any hesitation, the gliding monkey launched himself out and down. Dinner angled his flaps and side slipped to land on a rocky outcrop that jutted out of the cliff face about twenty feet below and to the left from where the dragonet watched. He gazed back up at her with what could only be described as a distinctly smug look on his wrinkled little face.

Iza hissed at him and paced nervously along the edge. Dinner just bared his teeth in a insincere smile and casually scratched his privates. WELL….Iza snorted…whatever! What the creature did wasn't really sky swimming, it was more like a controlled fall. If he could do it with those ridiculous flaps of skin…then she should be able to do it even with the damage to her wing. The loss of her left primaries meant that she could not create the lift she needed to get off of the ground and it would severely limit her mobility if she did get airborne. BUT…she should still be able to glide in a limited fashion with a few adjustments. The fledgling backed away from the edge a little and spread her wings. She carefully folded the tips in tight, then locked her thumb hook around her leading finger spar, stretching her main sail tight. This actually gave her a bit of a flight surface that she could adjust in order give her some directional control as she dropped. If he can do it, I can do it…this was repeated over and over in her mind as Iza took a deep breath and launched herself out into the open air.

For an all too brief moment her spirit soared as the wind caressed its' way over her feather scales, lifting her small, light body UP. Knowing that she did not want it to push her away from the cliff. Iza angled her compromised wings and side slipped, copying what she had seen Dinner do. Her unskilled landing was not as graceful as his, and the male squalled as she just about knocked him off of his perch. There were a couple seconds of frantic clawing and scrambling then the two managed to regain their holds. Both youngsters clung together as they panted, waiting for their heart rates to slow back down. Dinner gave the dragonet a small push and with disgruntled huff he kicked out away from their perch and glided down to a small ledge. The scruffy male paused to make sure that she followed, then jumped for the next hand hold so that she could land safely in the spot that he had vacated. In this fashion…Dinner showed his crippled friend a quick and relatively safe route down to the cove.

The little dragon queen screed in exhilaration and a feeling of accomplishment. Where as she wasn't really air swimming, the short fast glides were close enough to true flight that somewhere deep inside her dragonish soul a mighty beast raised its' head and roared its defiance into the wind.

Golden eyes sought out her companion as he made his casual way towards the beach and they suddenly slitted in anticipation. SHE had not forgotten the tree glider's arrogant attitude at the beginning of this little adventure! Bobbing her triangular head…the dragonet made some quick calculations and then made her last gliding leap. Dinner never saw his doom coming as quick forehands and hind feet caught his tail as she passed over at full speed. Her hard yank sent him spinning in a dizzying roll. Iza daintily landed and primly folded her wings as she innocently watched the young male pull his now slimy and dripping body out of the tidal mud. YES… she gaped her mouth wide in a draconic grin as "Mister Full of Himself" gave a disgusted shake in an unsuccessful attempt to lose some of the nasty black goop. That had been oh so satisfying!

* * *

Cid stopped outside of Vincent's quarters only to hesitate before he unlocked the door. It had taken but a moment for Cloud to assure him that all was well with the Highwind. The swordsman had initiated the course change in order to make a quick stop for the purpose of re-stocking supplies that were getting low. The Captain made no complaint. He could see that the antibiotic that they were giving Valentine was high on the list of things they were running out of. Still, the pilot had taken some time to sooth his control freak engineering soul. A quick inspection of the command center and the engine rooms had confirmed that everything was ship shape and also served to set his crew on edge. Good…they didn't need to get complacent just because their Captain had other things on his platter at the moment. The flyer then made it a point to stop by the ex-Turk's room to see if he could get the man a change of clothes.

Highwind had to step hard to squash the guilt that threatened to rise as he opened Vincent's door. The gunman had made it very clear to everyone that his privacy was something that he would not compromise on. Well, he would just have to deal with that later…surely the man did not want to spend the next few days outfitted in Cid's cast offs. Cid was trying to soothe his own conscious with this thought as he slipped quietly into the room. The Captain stopped just inside the door and something inside of his chest twisted painfully with what his wide blue eyes took in.

The pilot had not been a member of this odd little group for long. He did not know any of them intimately. Still…just by the little odds and ends that they each carried with them…it was easy to tell who occupied their space just by stepping through the door to their rooms. And no, he wasn't taking their choice of weapons into account. The girl's room was usually decorated with flowers, clothes, bits and pieces of cloth, and ribbons. Yuffie, oddly enough, had a couple of books that went with her everywhere. Barret had pictures of Marlene that he kept close and Cloud…hell… the ex-Soldier was the most introverted of the bunch and even he had a small stuffed yellow chocobo that sat proudly on his pillow whether it be in a tent, a motel room or here on the Highwind. It had been a gift from Arieth. All of them, himself included, carried little reminders of their former lives with them…maybe so that when the going got tough, each would remember what they all were fighting for.

This room though…there was nothing in it to show that Vincent had ever been here. The bed was neatly made and the side table was almost painfully clean. The only chair in the room was placed so that whomever sat in it could watch out of the window. Something told Cid that this saw more of Valentine than his bed did. Highwind knew that Vincent carried a gun kit with him, along with thread and an assortment of needles…he had found these when he had undressed the man. (part of him recognized that some of those needles were designed to sew up flesh, not cloth.) There had been nothing else on him but his guns and spare ammunition. Swearing softly to himself, Cid strode over to the closet. It was no surprise that all he found when he opened it was one change of clothes. The soft cloth shirt and leathers hanging there were simple black and both showed where damage acquired in battle had been meticulously stitched.

What the HELL…they had stopped at several towns where Vincent could have picked up more living supplies then this. He knew for a fact that the gunman had purchased several guns and a supply of the bullets each needed. It was unfathomable that the man had bought nothing but these and a spare set of clothes for himself. After all…there was SOME hope that they might make it through this alive and there were things the man was going to need in the futu…..

Something clicked into place and Cid's racing mind ground to a halt. Mother Fucking Gia…. Whatever had happened to Vincent before he was locked in that coffin had been bad enough that he did not wish to remember it. Hell…the man spent most of his time trying to escape those memories. Because of this, Vincent made it a point to carry nothing with him that would remind him of his past except for his perceived "sins" and the nightmares that haunted his damaged mind. On the flip side of this Highwind was suddenly dead assed positive that the reason that Valentine carried only what he needed to reach the end of their quest and nothing else, was because the son of a bastard was looking for a way to ensure that he did not survive it!

One broad hand lifted and rough fingers stroked the silky black fabric of the shirt before Cid carefully lifted it off of its' hanger. With out thinking about what he was doing, the pilot balled the shirt up in his hands and pressed it to his face, unconsciously inhaling the spicy scent of sandalwood mixed with warm metal and the tang of gunpowder.

"Ah shit…Vince…" he softly breathed as he gently smoothed the shirt out, and then folded it, one thumb carefully wiping a suspicious wet spot away…"It won't do a damn bit of good ta fix up yer damaged body if I can't figure out how in the hell I'm gonna ta fix yer broken mind."

* * *

The Matriarch sluggishly swam into the little cove. Leviathan, she was tired. The female had not been able to get far enough out to sea to avoid the full fury of the tempest so she had spent a good majority of the storm pushing her aging body as far into the depths as she could in order to ride it out. Even doing this… she had received a pretty good battering every time she had rose in order to catch a breath before waves the size of mountains crashed down on her. Of course the storm clouds did have a silver lining. Many of the ocean's residents had been overwhelmed by its' power and she had a mouthful of storm stunned fish for her hungry hatchling to eat. Even injured, these had taken most of her storm sapped energy to catch and this old sea wolf was looking forward to a long nap just floating in the still water of the warm cove.

Her broad black and white head breached the surface as the female spy hopped, looking for her charge. It took a moment to find the dragonet as her eye had to adjust to the above surface thin air. When she did finally spot the pale winged form of her adopted daughter working along the wave line, the sea wolf just about drowned herself with a lungful of water as she sucked in a shocked breath. What in the HELL was her young Sky Queen doing? THAT was a dirty, fur covered, smelly, tree hugging PRIMATE. The only relationship those two younglings should be engaged in was one where IT ended up in her dragonet's stomach as dinner!

The whale watched in horror as the little brown furred mammal stuffed a handful of seaweed into his mouth and her adopted daughter snagged a long strand of it and sucked it into her greedy little maw like a worm. The Matriarch's stomach made a nauseous roll and she was suddenly glad that she had not eaten any of the fish she carried. That was just GROSS…dragons didn't eat veggies…they ate little brown MONKEYS! Her abused stomach heaved again as Iza pounced on a patch of the green weed only to be intercepted by grasping, long fingered monkey hands. The primate gave the dragon an insolent smile and proceeded to stuff all of the goodies into his already full mouth. For a moment Iza just stared at her odd companion, then her golden eyes narrowed and her pointed muzzle arrowed forward to thump into the creature's narrow chest. With a loud hiccup, a large wad of half chewed salad exited the primate's gagging mouth, and was snatched up to disappear down a very smug looking dragonet's long throat. The primate froze, then he launched himself, knocking his winged companion backwards to land painfully on her whip tailed ass.

In less than a heartbeat all the Matriarch could see was a shrieking, whistling ball of fur, feathers, legs, wings, and tails as the youngster's lost their tempers and their disagreement disintegrated into an all out beach brawl. The female snorted and sank…it seemed that no matter the species, all children were very much alike. She rushed the shore, turned at the last moment and grinned a closed mouthed satisfied smirk as the bow wave that this maneuver kicked up, rolled both flailing youngsters head over tails across the sand. HA… maybe that would clean some of the mud off of the dirty tree climber! The sea wolf settled her belly carefully into the shallow water and blinked in surprise as a sputtering Iza recovered first and reached out with wings and forehands to help the panicked little primate find his feet. As soon as the dragonet had the male balanced on his pink butt with his head above water she floundered over to push excitedly at the Matriarch's tightly closed lips. Her excited chirps and screes augmented the "Mamamamamamama" that beat in an unbroken litany against the sea wolf's mind.

Knowing what the youngster wanted the female sighed and reluctantly parted her jaws so that Iza could crawl onto her tongue. All the while giving the primate, who had scootched a little closer, a hard narrow eyed look. There was NO way that filthy, furred, smelly mammal was finding its way into her mouth…not even if she were STARVING! The dragonet pushed the stunned fish aside and the great whale flinched as Iza enthusiastically dumped three days worth of experiences directly into her thoughts at once. Trying to head off the mother of all head aches that sorting through this information overload was sure to cause…the matriarch asked…

"Youngling…what is that?"

The stream of images broke off as golden eyes peeked through her teeth at one very wet, bedraggled and confused looking primate.

"Is Dinner…" was her adopted daughter's nonchalant answer.

Relief coursed through the old one's veins…ah…at least the Sky Queen knew that this was prey…perhaps she had just been saving it for a late afternoon snack.

"Yes Iza, I know he is meat…why have you not eaten him?"

"Not eat, Dinner…is…is" The Matriarch waited patiently as she felt the dragonet sifting through words and thoughts that might apply… there was a satisfied chirrup that echoed inside her mouth as the hatchling found what she was looking for.

"Ah…Iza not eat…Dinner is Brudder."

"Brudder?" The sea wolf's intelligent mind chewed on that for a moment…"Brudder…Brother…WHAT….?!"

Now the female might be lenient with the confused young dragon about exactly what SHE was but there was no way she was letting a scruffy, tree hugging, naked assed APE claim Sea Wolf ties. This would get nipped in the bud post haste!

"Iza…Dinner is a bare butted Primate not a Sea…"

There was a flash of movement near her eye…and the whale flinched. The sneaky little monkey had eased up while she had been distracted and he now stood up to his skinny waist in the tide. Intelligent curiosity had replaced the fear in his intent gaze. For some reason this made the female very uneasy. Before she could shoo the beast away, his quick spidery fingers snapped out, plucking something out of one of her lid creases. The Matriarch stopped mid sentence as there was a sharp twinge of pain, then an itch that she had lived with for so long it had become a part of her…disappeared. Her large brown eye widened as Dinner gave the sea louse he held a once over before it vanished to be crunched up with lip smacking gusto. The Matriarch watched in stunned disbelief as the ballsy little male waded closer and using his toes, he hoisted himself up to balance against her side while clever fingers inspected the rest of her wrinkles. Those long strong digits scratched at spots that were a physical impossibility for her to reach and the whale could not stop the shiver that rolled over her slick skin…OH Leviathan's teeth…. that felt EXQUISITE! In rapid succession her new "son" snagged three more of the irritating ever present parasites off of her skin. The old whale slowly rolled…encouraging the youngster to continue. He obliged by digging more of the obnoxious crustaceans from THAT place behind her pectoral fin. Oh…By the Abyss… it wasn't as if anyone would ever find out! The Matriarch threw all dignity to the wind and wriggled on to her back, whistling and squeaking in ecstasy as she barely managed to finish her sentence.

"EHEM…blessed tide…Ah Yes, right there…. Iza….nono little one... don't stop…your brudd…ah brother… is most definitely a Sea Wolf."

* * *

Cid pulled up short as he entered his room, his sharp gaze automatically noting what was missing. No Vincent was still there…Okay the pilot was going to have to sit down and have a man to man talk with himself. The blue black raven hair that fanned out around the pale face that rested quietly on his pillows did NOT belong to a woman…As beautiful as he looked, Valentine was a man…and the former assassin (a good thing to remember!) would NOT appreciate the fricken fact that for some odd gods be damned reason…Highwind's traitorous body had decided to react to him in an inappropriate way. Cid knew for a fact that there had been a woman in Vincent's life before it had turned to shit! SO… even if Cidney Highwind's very confused libido did a pole reversal and all of a sudden decided that he was flaming queen…he had better damn well keep that fact to himself.

Sounds from the bathroom had him reluctantly pulling his gaze away from the glimpse of a graceful neck, sculpted collar bones, and bandaged chest that peeked out where his own worn denim shirt had not been buttoned. AH…that explained where the missing element in the room was.

"Brat?"

"I didn't do…!"

"Geez fricken Louis Yuffie…I jest wanna know if yer fricken okay!"

Cid studied the girl who staggered out of his bathroom and couldn't help but wince. Right at the moment…the White Rose of Wuttai was more along the lines of…green. A quick glance confirmed that at least his quarters had not been painted with the results of the young ninja's airsickness. One hand rose to rub tiredly at the back of his neck.

"Hells Bells Brat….Did ya make it to the damned head or am I gonna have ta get someone ta clean the fricken floor in there?"

Yuffie hiccupped and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

"Yeah.…sorry…had it under control until a few minutes ago. Then Tifa brought some food down…." The girl gave an apologetic shrug at his raised brows. "Aerith stopped by too…and Barret."

SHIT!…Chaos was going to kill him! Maybe Vince had been asleep the whole time and the demon lord was blissfully unaware of all of the comings and goings. The pilot groaned and fought the urge to face palm himself…he had not thought about the message he was sending by letting Yuffie into the room. Damn it…oh well nothing to do now but deal with the consequences. He opened his eyes and took a hasty step forward to support Yuffie as she swayed.

"Why doncha go on to bed…I can handle it from here" (and you certainly don't friggin need ta see me get torn into itty bitty bleeding nuggets by a pissed off demon) The girl nodded and staggered towards the door only to stop as the Captain beat her there and held it closed for a moment. The man's voice had an almost desperate note to it.

"Yuffie…Please fucking tell me that Vincent (Chaos) slept through all of the gods be damned comings and goings?"

She gave the man a cheeky grin before she slipped out of the room.

"Oh, no worries there old man…Vince crashed and bur…ah…has been asleep since the third chapter."

"WELL…lets just thank the Gods for not given it to me up the ass EVERY fricken chance they ge…" There was a soft rustle from the general vicinity of the bed and even though he KNEW Valentines eyes were still bandaged the pilot was positive that he could feel the weight of Chaos' hot yellow gaze between his shoulder blades. The demon's rough voice was a soft croon.

"I WOULD NOT GO SO FAR AS TO SAY THAT HIGHWIND…."

"Oh SHIT! You've been awake this whole fucking time…haven't you?"

"YES AND I AM SADLY DISAPPOINTED WITH YOU. I THOUGHT THAT WE HAD AN AGREEMENT….. SKYRIDER…NO ONE BUT YOU OR THE FIREDOG?"

Cid swallowed hard, trying to get his balls, which had crept up to have a clandestined love affair with his tonsils, back down to where they belonged. One hand nervously played with the object that rested on top of the folded cloak and shirt he carried. A crew member had removed the forearm long, pale feather from where it had become tangled in the cloak's hem before the bloodied cloth had gone into the wash. If Vincent did not want it…Highwind intended on keeping the delicate, lovely thing. He had never seen a feather that chimed when you tapped it before. Squaring his shoulders, the Captain forced himself to saunter up to the bed and he carefully set Vince's shirt and his laundered cloak down. Ah what the hell….if he were going to die he might as well go out the same way he had always lived…skating on the fricken edge and be damned with consequences.

"What…you mean to tell me that ya have a flippin problem with YUFFIE? HEH…Are the big bad demons worried that little slip of a girl might hurt ya all while ya sleep?"

The possessed man on the bed gave a pained snort.

"IF YOU THINK THAT …LITTLE GIRL…IS HARMLESS FLYBOY, YOU ARE A LOT DUMBER THAN YOU LOOK. I FOR ONE, AM GOING TO ENJOY WATCHING HER FEED YOU YOUR OWN ASS IN THE FUTURE."

Cid perked up… that sounded promising, at least the demon lord wasn't going to kill him on the spot! The man on the bed shifted and his lips pulled back in a silent snarl as Chaos reacted to the pain this small movement caused. The pilot had been told that one of these days his mouth was going to get him killed…this might as well be the day.

"Hells Bells Battly…what's the fricken problem here? Is yer bad ass ego so fricken insecure that yer having probs dealing with common things like pain and vulnerability…feeling a little fucking grumpy are we? I got three shitten words for ya…Suck it up….we humans deal with this kind of shit all of the time!"

He just knew he was dead when that lethal bladed hand lifted. Instead of striking at him though the demon reached up and casually cut through the bandaging that covered his Host's damaged eyes. Cid suddenly found he could not move as that glowing gold gaze settled unwaveringly on him….even though there was still a slight glaze over those fierce eyes, he knew without a doubt that the demon was having no problem seeing him.

"YOU DO NOT STRIKE ME AS A FOOL HIGHWIND, SO I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY YOU INSIST UPON PUTTING YOURSELF AND YOUR COMPANIONS AT RISK. NO MATTER WHAT YOU THINK… YOU ARE PLAYING A VERY DANGEROUS GAME! VALENTINE WAS A HARD AND CRUEL MAN AT ONE TIME. AS YOU WITNESSED WITH THE GUNPLAY THE OTHER NIGHT, THAT PART OF HIM HAS NOT JUST VANISHED! YOU HAD BEST BELIEVE THAT WE DEMONS ARE NOT THE ONLY MONSTERS TRAPPED INSIDE OF HIS MIND AND THE ONE THAT IS "HIM" IS… NOT…. SANE!"

The pilot found that all of a sudden he could not quite meet Chaos' eyes. He had already figured out that there were parts of Vincent that he still carried from his days as a Turk…Cid wouldn't go so far as to call the man insane but the gunman's mind and soul were certainly badly fragmented. He looked up without thinking and the ancient eyes that met his were so full of weariness and sorrow that the pilot thought twice about what he was about to say. A part of him wondered silently if the Demon Lord was privy to the fact that Valentine intended to kill himself. Still…Vincent was human and what he was arguing with was not…he found himself defending the man.

"What happened the other night was brought on by fever and pain, there is no fricken way that Vince would hurt one of us if he was in his right mind. The only Gods be damned monsters that I see are the ones that Hojo added."

Shit…That came out all wrong…god damned mouth! How come he could command an entire crew and yet couldn't keep complete control of the words that spewed outta the traitorous thing? There was nothing but anger on Valentine's face now.

"I DO NOT REMEMBER HAVING MUCH CONTACT WITH YOUR KIND BEFORE I WAS COCCOONED. MY KNOWLEDGE OF THEM IS LIMITED TO WHAT MY HOST HAS EXPERIENCED IN HIS LIFE. SUFFICE IT TO SAY THAT I HAVE NOT BEEN IMPRESSED! BETWEEN WHAT I HAVE DUG OUT OF THIS ONE'S MEMORIES AND WHAT I HAVE SEEN SINCE AWAKENING IN THE TWISTED ONE'S DOMAIN, THIS…MONSTER…DOES NOT GIVE A RAT'S BEHIND FOR ANY OF YOUR GODS CURSED RACE. I DO NOT SEE WHY THE ELDEST WERE SO BOUND AND DETERMINED TO CHAMPION YOUR KIND. HUMANS ARE A HATEFUL AND SELFISH BREED, THEY DO NOTHING UNLESS IT IS FOR THEIR OWN BENEFIT AND THEY CARE NOT WHAT GETS DESTROYED IN THE PROCESS. AND SO, MY …MONSTROUS… DEMONIC NATURE DEMANDS AN ANSWER…WHAT ARE YOU PLAYING AT….FLEDGLING?"

Anger surged through the pilot at the insinuation that all humans were, in the demon's opinion, no better than Hojo.

"ME?!….I ain't fricken doing nothing…Eh… I just figured it was about damned time that Vince realized that we ALL care bout what happens to him."

"THE HOST DOES NOT NEED YOUR DYSFUNCTIONAL GROUP'S MISPLACED "SENTIMENT"."

"The HELL he doesn't…dysfunctional or not, we're better than nothing. People are not meant to be alone as fricken long as he has been and Its not like YOU all have been goin out of your way to play nice and make friends…"

An odd look crossed Vincent's usually impassive features and the soft growl that rolled from between drawn back lips warned that he had succeeded in pricking the demon's considerable temper. Cerulean eyes flew wide as Cid mentally connected the dots.

"Wait… that's fricken it, isn't it? You four have had him all to your lonesome's for thirty years and now ya just plain don't want ta fucking share. I'd wager gils to dog turds and hold the stinkin stakes in my Gods be damned mouth, that all of ya would be as happy as pigs in shit ta keep the man living in total isolation for the rest of eternity. You… fucking… selfish… bastards."

Red and black mist swirled around the gunman's body as Chaos' anger flashed to rage.

"FOOL…WE KEEP VALENTINE ISOLATED TO PROTECT HIM. THE HOST'S PHYSICAL SCARS ARE NOTHING COMPARED TO WHAT LIES WITHIN. THE ONLY PERSON HE EVER ALLOWED HIMSELF TO CARE ABOUT, TOOK HIS FREELY OFFERED HEART AND …RIPPED… IT… OUT! THAT BITCH'S CHOSEN LOVER THEN TOOK HIS LIFE, AND TOGETHER, THEY TOOK HIS SOUL. WHAT THEY LEFT OF VALENTINE IS AS FRAGILE AS A CRACKED CRYSTAL CHALICE. IT WOULD TAKE BUT A BREATH OF A "FRIEND'S" BETRAYAL TO SHATTER HIM. BECAUSE OF THIS, I WILL NOT APOLOGIZE FOR NOT TRUSTING YOUR WRETCHED SPECIES AND I WILL HAVE AN ANSWER, SKYHEART ….ARE YOU SETTING HIM UP JUST SO THAT HE MIGHT BE BROKEN … AGAIN?"

Guilt had shifted in Highwind's mind as he thought about the physical reaction he had been having whenever he was close to the gunman…Valentine sure as hell didn't need to have that kind of crap thrown at him after dealing with what could only be described as a disastrous relationship…then what the demon lord had said truly registered! The feelings he was trying to suppress made the blonde lash out without thinking.

"You fucking, tatter winged, wind sucking ASSHOLE! Ya damn well had better keep yer black winged BUTT inside Vince when you all are feeling better….cause the first time you come out I am gonna put my foot so far up yer ass you'll be tasting my fricken boot leather for a fucking week. What the HELL kind of man do ya think I am?!"

Those golden eyes gave a surprised blink and then narrowed as Chaos intently studied his face. Before Cid could react, Vincent's flesh hand snapped up, caught him and pulled him down to where they were almost face to face. Valentines thin nostrils flared and Chaos inhaled carefully but deeply…what ever the demon smelled, it made those same eyes fly wide at the same time that it pulled the pale lips into a tight unhappy line. The deep voice was almost a savage growl and the next words were spoken so quietly that Highwind had to lean even closer to catch all of them.

"I DO NOT KNOW HIGHWIND…AND THE FACT THAT YOU DO NOT TRULY TRUST IN YOUR OWN HEART IS SOMETHING THAT WORRIES ME."

The demon's hold shifted from Cid's arm up behind his neck and Highwind found himself pulled down until he was looking right into the demon's glazed yellow eyes. A shudder passed through him as the demon's warm breath lightly brushed his skin. Mother Gia….if Vincent's eldest wanted to rip his throat out…there would be nothing he could do to stop him. Chaos must have picked up an this thought because the pale lips that were oh so close to his neck suddenly curled up in a lazy, arrogant smile. Highwind wasn't comforted at all by this, that smile did not reach those cold, golden eyes.

I WILL GIVE YOU THIS, HUMAN…YOU HAVE BALLS THE SIZE OF A BEHEMOTHS…AND ALTHOUGH I DO WONDER ABOUT YOUR BRAINS, NOT MANY WOULD HAVE STOOD UP TO ME THE WAY THAT YOU HAVE AND SURVIVED TO TELL THE TALE. I FIND THIS… AMUSING! BECAUSE OF THIS AND FOR THE KINDNESS THAT YOU HAVE SHOWN ONE WHO HAS SEEN PRECIOUS LITTLE OF THIS RARE COMMODITY, I WILL GO AGAINST MY NATURE AND STAND BETWEEN YOU AND THE OTHER THREE WITHIN. BE FOREWARNED SKYHEART…THIS TRUCE WILL LAST ONLY UNTIL THE DAY THAT YOU CAUSE THE HOST HARM. ON THAT DAY…THE OTHERS WILL FEED ON WHAT EVER I CHOOSE TO LEAVE OF YOU."

Between one blink and the next…the gold shifted to deep crimson. Vincent blinked in surprise then his eyes widened. When Cid tried to pull back, Valentine tightened his grip, preventing the movement. Highwind froze…he did not want to accidentally hurt the injured man's back by pulling on him. For a long moment the gunman intently studied the face so close to his own…then a small smile curved his mouth and this smile warmed blood red to fiery ruby. The man's ravaged voice was not much more than a quiet whisper, still … its deep sultry rasp caused Cid's heart, which had gone ice cold, to jump in such a way that it was exquisitely painful.

"Has anyone ever told you Highwind, that you have a beautiful face?"

Cid jerked back as that strong hand released his neck. In order to hide what HAD to be shining out of his face…the Captain laughed and struck a ridiculous macho pose.

" Hell Vince are ya fricken kidding…with a good looking mug like this I got dames telling me that ALL the damned time!

* * *

I have actually sat down now and typed out some words on the next chapter of this tale! May not seem like much to most but it is the first real fanfiction writing I have done in over 8 months! Felt good. Will get the next chapter out as quickly as I can. Please be patient...gotta a lot of irons in the fire right at the moment!


	11. Chapter 11

This is the first complete chapter I have written in over 8 months. When I think of how close I came to just scrapping my fanfiction...I am humbly thankfull for my readers and friends who rode my ass like the proverbial monkey to prevent me from quitting something that I really love to do. I hope that I have managed to shake the rust off sufficiently and that my writing has not suffered for the long hiatus. Please let me know what you think. This is a fanfiction. I make no money from it. Square Enix holds all rights to the FFVII world and its characters. I hold the rights to the original parts of this story line and my original characters. Sooo...here goes...I hope you enjoy!

On the Wings of Trust

Chapter 11

Vincent carefully closed his eyes…they may have healed enough to give him some semblance of vision but they still hurt like all Hades. His eyelids felt like they were made of coarse grit sandpaper. This plus the sunlight in the room stabbing at them like razor blades had a slow leak of pain induced tears tracking down his cheeks. He heard and then felt as Highwind rather gingerly sat on the edge of the bed.

"Hey…are ya okay?"

The lack of "embellishment" in this simple question only added to the whirling mass of confusion that was currently rolling through the gunman's heart and mind. He was already regretting what had slipped past his lips. Highwind was most definitely NOT interested in men…and those ill advised words had quite clearly made the man uncomfortable. Hell, for that matter…they made HIM uncomfortable. Not for the same reasons he was sure. As a Turk, he had been trained in the art of making love…not all those he had bedded had been female. Still because it had been a VERY long time since he had been a "willing" participant in anything remotely resembling pleasure involving a male, his reaction to Highwind came as a complete shock. Vincent was not absolutely sure it had been just the relief of seeing SOMETHING that had loosed the leash he usually kept on his mouth. For just a moment as his eyes had taken in the blurred visage so close to his…the man's vivid sky colored eyes had seemed the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. The surge of warmth that accompanied this thought had momentarily unthawed his heart and then coursed through his veins. It had been almost painful to a soul that had known nothing but anger, pain and guilt for so very long. Echoes of a betrayal that had ripped his world apart and the following agony that had ensued because of this had ice rapidly replacing that unfamiliar heat. There was no way that he was letting another person… be they male or female… back into his heart. The last time had taught him a hard and very painful lesson. People could NOT be trusted, no matter their intentions.

The gunman took a careful breath, and remembered to keep his voice soft. He was pleased that although speaking was painful, he was able to answer without triggering a coughing spell.

"The light… Chief…it is hurting my eyes."

"SHIT….."

He felt the pilot jump up and could not suppress the soft hiss of pain that escaped as the rough movement jostled him.

"Crap…sorry Val…" Some of the ex-Turk's physical discomfort eased as Cid closed the heavy drapes over the window, effectively blocking out the early afternoon sun. He carefully slitted his eyes back open but with the dimmed light they were again next to useless. All he could make out were shadows within shadows. Still there was nothing wrong with his ears…the other man's quietly muttered… "Fricken bat winged bastard…fucker shoulda known better!" as he stalked towards the bathroom…pricked not only Vincent's interest but also his eldest's temper if the muted growl within was any indication. Concerned the gunman quietly questioned the demon…or at least he tried to…

"Chaos…?"

"YOUR COMPANION IS AN ASSHOLE…HOST."

The pain that stabbed through his eyes as his eyebrows tried to creep up off of his forehead sent a fresh wave of tears coursing down his cheeks. Before he closed them again the gunman caught a glimpse of Cid coming back out of the bathroom. Valentine could not help himself, he tried one more time…

"Highwind…what…?"

"I'm telling ya right now Vince…that Gods be damned, tatter winged reject from hell ya carry around inside ya is a fricken first class asshole!"

A truly strange feeling coiled through the ex-Turks chest at this…and at Chaos' outraged sputtering response. It had been so long since the man had experienced the need to laugh that it took him a moment to recognize the feeling. Knowing that laughter right at the moment would not be the…best medicine… for either his damaged airways OR his friend's temper made Vincent curl into himself trying to suffocate it before it could escape and quite literally choke him to death. He could not completely smother the soft snort that did escape or stop the smile that twisted at his lips.

"Doncha fricken laugh, dumb ass…you'll make yerself cough…that's all I fricken need is ta have to clean one of yer Gods be damned lungs up offa my floor!"

The anger in the Captain's rough voice was offset by a quiet… "Hands on Vince…" followed by a surprisingly gentle touch. Valentine could not stop himself as he instinctively turned his fever heated face into the soft, cool cloth that Highwind used to carefully clean all traces of those sticky tears off of his cheeks.

* * *

The Matriarch floated quietly in the deeper part of the cove…content to just rest and enjoy the almost forgotten feeling of being parasite free. Sea lice and sand fleas were the bane of the very old and the sick. As she had aged well past the time when most of her kind joined the Lifestream, the old female had consigned herself to just having to live with the uncomfortable blood sucking things. Blowing out the stale air in her lungs…the female rose to the surface and after sucking in fresh sun warmed air she remained floating lazily on the surface…enjoying the interplay of hot sunlight and cold water as they mingled on her smooth skin. Raising her head a little above the surface the orca casually checked on her adopted…pups. At this thought she shuddered and blew out a short sharp breath…creating a fine mist that tickled as it settled back down on her. Great Leviathan how had she gotten herself netted into this!? It only took a moment for her sharp eye to find the younglings. Iza was just above the water line greedily bolting her fish while Dinner poked doubtfully at one the little dragon had reluctantly slid his way. After gnawing at it for a moment…the primate sat back on his pink butt and dolefully watched as his companion enjoyed her meal. It seemed that the fish's armored hide was too much for the young monkey's baby teeth to bite through. A large brown eye widened as the sea wolf watched the monkey sidle up to Iza. This might be a problem…Dragons were greedy, gluttonous creatures and they were NOT known for their capacity to share!

What happened next had the water beast almost drowning herself as she accidentally sucked water down her blow hole in surprise. Iza stopped eating, and sent a suspicious glance her companions way. Dinner stopped, huddled in on himself and held out a dirty little hand. For a moment the dragonet just stood glancing between her pathetic little "brother" and his fish…then she creeled softly and casually nosed her shredded fish over to the monkey whilst pouncing savagely on his untouched one. By the time the orca had managed to clear her airway and catch her wheezing breath, the youngsters were sitting side by side occasionally offering each other choice pieces from their individual meals.

Seeing the two younglings together should have seemed very…wrong. Dragon and primate should only exist in the relationship of predator to prey. Of this, the old sea wolf had been absolutely sure…Then…as she watched the two orphans happily sharing their simple meal of Orca caught fish…something long forgotten stirred deep inside her memories…a hint of an ancient song twined through her mind, whispering a tale of a time when life on Mother Gia had been very different.

In this day and age many thought that the Orca and the lesser folk, the smilers were nothing more than beasts…If one was intelligent one would have a history, how could they have a history or culture if they could not write. The dragons of old had known this simple truth ….they… unlike the water dwellers were very adept at writing but like the sea folk they did not need pen nor ink to pass their knowledge along. The sea and the air were elements that were made to carry the rich tapestry of music. Both beasts of wind and water were the same in that they passed their knowledge and more importantly their MEMORIES down in the form of songs.

Turning her attention away from the youngsters…the Matriarch looked within as she intently followed that quiet wisp of music, tracking the almost forgotten bit of memory to its source. Without realizing it the old female sang as she found each remembered note…Before long the deep rich sound of an ancient whale song echoed and thrummed around the little cove.

* * *

Iza finished her fish and after giving what was left of Dinner's meal a wistful look, she decided she was too full to stuff another bite down her gullet. Waddling a little because of her over filled stomach, she staggered up the beach a little way out of reach of the occasional wave. Finding a shady spot beside a couple of boulders she had just flopped down with a groan to take a much needed nap when her "Mama" started to sing.

At the first couple of rumbling notes…Iza snapped to attention, her underdeveloped crest and ruff flaring out to channel every nuance of the beautiful sound along her facial bones and into her inset ears. The dragonet ignored her full stomach as she stood on her hind legs and balanced against her rocks, wings spread to catch each note's vibrations, tail braced as she cocked her head, listening intently to the old sea wolfs song. The Matriarch had most of her attention turned inward as she floated in the still water…trying to follow the ancient notes that she sang, she was intent on pursuing that very old wisp of memory and being a sea wolf, to her that is all the song was, a very old racial memory.

To Iza, though she was just a hatchling, this was something entirely different. She did not have true knowledge of the spell the old wolf was trying to weave…but the magic of her ancient kin coursed through her dragon's blood and instinct drove her to join in. Snapping her wings against her hard chest scales created a rich bell like tone… without thought, Iza began to beat a counter point to the ancient rhythm that the Orca set. Ripples of light coalesced and began to dance on the water as the dragonet filled her buffering chambers, engaged her dual larynx and joined in the sea wolf's deep song.

At first…these soft notes were hardly heard…but the acoustics of the little cove were such that between the cliffs, the air and the water…. the song built until the very rocks seemed ring with it. These vibrations reached deep into Iza's cave. Light flashed in the dark as the sleeping crystals woke. Elemental magic built like a coming storm as they silently listened to the spell being inexpertly woven by creatures of wind and wave. Then the very air exploded with color and song as they finally chose to answer.

* * *

Beautiful music rang out over the water, intertwined within was a powerful and ancient magic. Together they seemed to ride upon the very wind and the air in the cove suddenly came alive with streaming light and color. The echoing thrum of whale, dragon and crystal song made the very ocean water vibrate, mists started to rise as diamond like droplets danced upon the waves. The Matriarch was caught in the very center of sound and magic, for a frightening second her song faltered.

_**Sing…Daughter of the ocean…Do not stop…you must SING**_

Then it lifted back up stronger than before as soft sweet voices whispered inside of her mind, lifting her spirit as they called to her heart.

…_**..Wind and Water, illusions blend…**_

Massive cliffs lifted out of the steaming water and it was as if their little cove became a very small part of a huge rock protected harbor.

Layer upon layer the illusion built until it seemed as if great alabaster towers thrust towards the sky…their mighty flanks anchored as a part of the land itself.

…_**..Earth and Fire, reality bends…..**_

Gay banners furled in a pleasant breeze and songs echoed back and forth off of the cliff and tower walls as brightly colored dragons called to each other whilst they soared in an azure sky.

The water folk were present in number…both great and small, happily chattering and singing in the harbor. Their young played in the shallows as the adults helped tow great sea going ships into the docks along with the more humble fishing vessels. The eldest …the Cetra… moved to and fro using shining walkways that spanned from cliffs to tower to harbor like gossamer webs. Occasionally one would stop as one of the air folk…the great dragons…winged in to exchange pleasantries.

There was no fear where these mighty beasts were concerned. These were not the muscled bound, armor plated, blood thirsty beasts that hunted Gia's skies now. No…these were elegant eldritch creatures whose feather scales chimed when they flew, making sweet music as they rode upon the wind. Keen Intelligence gleamed out of eyes that glowed like young suns. The star ridden skies were the ancient dragon's natural element yet Earth magic was woven into their songs and its power ebbed and flowed in answer to their every whim.

The tall, armored forms of the Deameonia were there also…on land and in the sky. Ever present, these great winged guardians were fierce in their protection of those that they were honor bound to call their own. Yet even the smallest youngling of the Four Houses did not hesitate to run, swim or fly to one and it was heart warming to see these powerful beings stop in their duties to take the time to brush off a skinned knee, or give a gentle pat or scratch behind a feather scale when it was needed.

Iza's song never faltered…Her draconic legacy drove her and SHE could clearly hear the beautiful voices that sang along side her….still the little dragonet could not stop herself from reaching a forehand towards the sky…oh how she longed to fly with those majestic beings.

…_**..We call to the lost…those doomed to roam….**_

For a long moment this vista of a glorious past held true…then one by one the crystals fell silent, their strength spent. As the music faltered the spell that it powered unraveled…. And as the beautiful vision that it created faded with it…this bitter truth was swallowed along with the light. This bright world had begun to die with the arrival of the Evil one. Heaven's Dark Harbinger had brought death and destruction to their planet…and the fight to save it had become their downfall.

Bound by their honor to protect…The Deameonia had borne the brunt of the brutal Jenovan war and when that valiant race had begun to fail, the powerful Dragons had stepped up to back them. The intelligent beasts had gorged on hot metal to armor their bodies, living blood and warm flesh became the fuel that powered their deadly flame…they did this with full knowledge that these forbidden things were not only their salvation but also their doom. The ingestion of Cold steel and iron poisoned their minds and gorging on death in the killing fields became an addiction that destroyed their spirits. In the end though they helped to save the planet…the two great races were lost. The Deameonia fought and died until there were none left to carry on the blood line… the dragons began the long terrible slide into diminishment until all that was left were vicious mindless beasts that bore no resemblance to the glorious beings they once had been.

The Matriarch let her last notes go…and listened in stunned silence as the last of the song echoed around the cove. Iza faltered…and then sagged down into a small heap of exhausted dragon. Dinner crept out from where he had hidden behind her and quietly curled up under one of her outspread wings…

…_**..All four must join to sing them home…**_

It was with a broken heart that the sea wolf listened to the last whispered notes of the crystal's song….The Eldest were all but gone…and no Deameonia had walked this world since that ancient war's end…Earth and Fire were no more…. there would be no completing a Quartet…Those that had been lost so long ago…could never be saved.

* * *

Far out in the void, a lone wanderer approached yet another isolated star. This one was a huge bloated thing…having consumed most of the planets around it…this lethal star was incapable of supporting life. Not for the first time…the Queen contemplated the forbidden. It would be just the matter of a quick dive into the star's inferno heart, there would be a brief moment of intense pain and then this long, lonely journey would be over. After so much time had past…she feared the worse and that all that she loved was lost. Pressed to the point of telling those she carried of her decision, the traveler faltered as the whispered notes of a song tickled at her subconscious. The mighty beast turned her head, flaring ruff and crest in order to catch every part of that far away call. When she was positive of what she heard the Queen broadcasted back a song of pure joy…a DUET! Somewhere…back in a place distantly remembered as "HOME"…a daughter of Wind and one of Water wove a spellsong! Forgetting her dark thoughts from just a moment ago, One who was lost made a slow sweeping turn and ceased her endless travel. This was not the Quartet that was needed to open a Gate…but it was enough to give her hope. She would wait here in the light of a dying sun… in the hopes that the Four would unite soon to call her home.

* * *

Cid leaned against the window sill and wished like hell that he could light a smoke. What had happened earlier could just about classify as one of the fricken most awkward moments of his life. (IF you didn't count that thing with that Costan woman… her boyfriend…her GIRLfriend… AND her husband…that had just been a dyed in the fucking wool clusterfuck!) The pilot could not help but smile at the rather raunchy memory… even though that particular adventure had cost him quite a bit of skin and ALMOST cost him his life…still…it had been fucking worth it! The man sighed and scrubbed at the back of his neck with a rough hand…this was the root of his problem. He liked…no…he LOVED women and Valentine just did NOT qualify! No matter how beautiful he was… Vincent….was…a…man…and this flyboy's traitorous body had NO business reacting to the retired assassin in the manner that it was. No matter the errant comment that Vincent had made earlier, the ex-Turk's eldest demon had made it quite clear that his Host's last ill fated love had been a WOMAN. There was no telling how the unstable man might react to finding out that another man…and a friend to boot… had the Gods be damned screaming hots for his body! Sky blue eyes slanted sideways to check on said body. He had cleaned Vincent's face for him and re-wrapped his eyes in a lighter bandage. After forcing the man to take a little broth and water…Cid had propped him back on his side so that the ex-Turk could get comfortable enough to fall into a light, fevered doze. What he could see of the high porcelain cheekbones had a light flush, and the soft sheen of sweat gave the man's skin an almost dewy look. Just for a moment, the blonde had to savagely step on the desire to put his lips to that softness and get a small taste of the man. MOTHER GIA…Highwind leaned his forehead against the cool glass of the window. He had to get this nipped in the bud pronto or his bastard libido was going ta get him fricken KILLED!

Something tickled at his mind…a slight vibration that rapidly became something much more. Swearing softly, the Captain opened the window a little more and ignoring the thousands of feet between him and the ground he leaned out…listening intently. It was almost as if there was a song being carried upon the wind.

A soft sound from the bed had his head snapping around and Cid made a flying dive for it as Vincent threw back his sheet and with pale lips pulled back in a pained grimace, tried to push himself up.

"What the FUCK? Where the hell do ya think your going?"

Cid grabbed at the hands trying to remove his new bandaging and hissed when he realized that he was NOT dealing with Valentine.

"DO YOU NOT HEAR THAT…SKYRIDER?"

Still…like a fool… he did not let go…just managing to push both back down against the sheets as he answered.

"I don't hear a damned thing…"

"THERE IS…WAS…"

Chaos struggled up against him and Highwind prayed that the demon would NOT lose patience and just tear him apart to get by him. Fear for Vincent pushed the flyer into letting his mouth go…after all…it had not failed him yet!

"Mother Gia…Don't make me sit on your Gods be damned ASS…Batly. (No matter how nice that might feel…HOLY crap… Cid sent a quick prayer that he had NOT spoken that errant thought out loud! Damned mouth!) You and Vince are in no fricken shape ta be goin anywhere!"

Something seemed to stab through Highwind's heart at the terrible look of sad longing chased by confusion that crossed Vincent's fine features. This was followed by a flicker of hope. The demon's rough voice was almost a whisper.

"THERE WAS… I THOUGHT…HIGHWIND…JUST FOR A MOMENT I THOUGHT THAT I HEARD VOICES RIDING UPON THE WIND. DID YOU NOT HEAR THEM? _SHE_ KNEW MY _NAME_…THEY WERE CALLING…"

Cid wasn't proud. He could not hold the demon much longer, the pilot resorted to begging.

"Come on Chaos…_Please_… yer gonna hurt Vincent. It was just a fever dream. I've been here all along and I didn't hear a shitten thing."

Alarmed more than he cared to admit… Cid watched as that small light of hope bled out of the too pale face and the red of blood tinged tears seeped through to stain the light protective wrap he had put back over his companion's damaged eyes. The demon stopped fighting and allowed himself to be pushed back down upon the now blood stained sheets.

He could not shake the sudden feeling that his little white lie had crushed something very important in the demon's dark heart.

"I am sorry…Chaos…

The demon turned his friend's face away from him and the rough voice seemed to be filled with an aching void.

"DO NOT CONCERN YOURSELF…SKYRIDER… AS YOU SAID… IT WAS NOTHING BUT A DREAM."

* * *

I must admit that this was easier...and harder than I thought it would be to write. I was pleasantly surprised that the old joy of creation is still alive and well. Hopefully I will have the next chapter up in a reasonable amount of time. I shall work hard at it. In the mean time...I do LOVE hearing from my readers and your reviews and comments are greatly appreciated!


	12. Chapter 12

Again...I apologize for the delay between chapters. I have NOT given up on my writing...just had some major real life and emotional issues interfering with my muses. Hopefully we have the emotional probs under wraps and with in the next week or two will have the other stressful issues out of the way and I will be back to enjoying my writing and art again. I DO promise that I will not give up on this story...or any of the others that are sitting on the back burner at the moment.

On the Wings of Trust

Chapter 12

The Matriarch watched her little sky queen with growing concern. It had been days since the shared spell song. And it seemed that the vision that had accompanied it had created an invisible wound that was slowly draining the spirit out of the crippled dragonet. The once fierce, proud little creature had turned into a mere shadow of herself, spending most of her time perched on the rocks watching the open sky with sad longing in her once brilliant eyes. Her pale hide had lost it's healthy gleam and the translucent colors that use to dance across the surface of her feather scales had faded, turning them a bleak and unhealthy gray…even in the sunshine. Iza barely picked at the fish that the orca brought for her and even Dinner's silly antics could not entice the ailing young dragon down from the rocks to play.

The sea wolf blew a soft, worried breath out. She knew what was eating at the little one's soul. Dragons were creatures of air and fire. In the ancient days…her injury might have been healed and if not….even a crippled dragon would have been treasured and cared for. Now… with what the once proud creatures had degenerated into… to be grounded was a death sentence. Before… Iza had not known what she was missing with her crippling injury, she had never known the joy of flight. Now…that glorious dream had made the little queen very aware of what she had lost. Hell…The old female could not fly and SHE was well aware of what the little one had lost! Frustrated…the Matriarch rolled and pushed her large body down deep into the depths. Turning she shot up to crash through the surface in a breach, slapping the water hard with her tail as she re-entered her element. The sound cracked out and made satisfying echoes around the cove as the whale settled back into the surf. As she glided towards the shore…the sea wolf chortled to herself as she banked right and then left. She could NOT give the young one her longed for sky….but she COULD give her the next best thing.

She whistled loudly as she settled into the shallows. Iza's solemn gaze left the sky only for a moment. And the Matriarch growled softly at being ignored. She put the strength that years of leading a large sometimes unruly pod had given her into her mental command.

"Come here… skychild…NOW!"

Iza hissed at her…but the child DID drag herself off of her perch and slink out into the shallows to reluctantly crawl into her mouth. As the dragonet settled on her tongue…the orca's sharp eyes noticed as her companion gingerly followed her into the surf.

It was with sneaky intentions that the orca watched Dinner gamely wade out to were he usually waited while Iza was in her mouth. Without warning she surged forward and grabbed his long tail between gentle teeth. She ignored his loud shrieks of outrage and fear as well as Iza's muffled but indignant squeaks and whistles as she hauled both of her adoptive children's butts out into deeper water. Swimming was not much different than flying…with the one important fact that the thicker water would support the dragon's weight in a way that the air could not. Iza would not need those all important flight primaries to oar her way through the water. It would give the little queen the much needed "feeling" of flight AND it would give the sea wolf the knowledge that when she finally passed into the depths…the dragon would have a way to hunt and support herself. With the sea at her command her daughter would not go hungry!

The Matriarch dropped the tail she was pulling Dinner with and eased her head up under the panicked, thrashing monkey to support him until his fear subsided. She could not suppress a wicked little grin as he grimly clung to her with both hands and feet.

There was no reason the little primate could not also learn to swim…it would do him good to learn a new skill and it would serve the dual purpose of giving the smelly little creature a much needed bath!

* * *

Vincent carefully opened the curtains that shielded Cid's stateroom from the bright early morning light. He gave a slight nod of satisfaction when the only reaction this caused was a slight narrowing of his injury sensitive eyes. Chaos had been right when he had insisted that he could heal that debilitating injury. Why it had taken the demon lord so long to do so had never been answered to Valentine's satisfaction although the gunman was carefully husbanding his own theory. When pressed about it his unwanted companion had become very evasive…almost defensive.

"MOTHER GIA….HOST…WHAT IS WITH ALL OF THE QUESTIONS. IT IS ENOUGH THAT I MANAGED TO PUT YOU BACK TOGETHER. I WOULD THINK THAT YOU SHOULD BE DAMNED THANKFUL THAT WE WON'T BE SPENDING THE REST OF OUR VERY LONG LIFE SITTING ON A CORNER HOLDING OUT AN ALMS DISH, BEGGING FOR OUR SUPPER!"

This vehement reaction had sent BOTH of Vincent's eyebrows shooting up as it had been the longest sentence he had heard from his eldest since waking up in a fever free, more coherent state of mind. The demon Lord had been unusually quiet and reclusive…almost to the point of seeming morose. If Valentine did not know better.. he would think that the creature who unwillingly shared space in his mind was seriously depressed.

Still…it was enough that the demon had made up for lost time…and had gotten him more or less back on his feet in time to accompany the group on the next stage of their mission.

Vincent thoughtfully picked up the clean denim shirt that Highwind had put out for him…one long fingered hand casually stroking the soft material. Cid had brought him his own black silk shirt but using the excuse that blood would wash out of cotton much easier than silk he had managed to avoid changing into it. Wearing the Captain's worn shirt had made something inside of him feel warm and protected, almost…safe. This was a feeling long forgotten in his world and it was one that he could NOT let himself indulge in. He could not afford to let his guard down until their goal was achieved. After that…well…the world he had awakened into was a cold, hard and dangerous place. Even so…there was no place in it for a monster such as himself. Chaos may not have realized it, but if his theory proved correct…this little "incident" had given him the means to remove himself AND his demons from existence once his skills were no longer needed. Until then it was paramount that he stay focused. Letting another person inside of his heart was NOT the way to accomplish this! He had learned the hard way that distractions in his line of work could have worse than lethal consequences. Besides…a soft sigh escaped pale lips as Vincent folded the shirt and without realizing, pressed it against his face to inhale the imbedded scent of wind, oil, leather and smoke before carefully setting it down on the bed with a regretful pat…even if he DID allow his heart to have a say in this… Highwind was in no way interested in males. Of this fact the gunman was certain.

Picking up his own silk garment, Vincent carefully slid into it, relaxing a little as not only did the smooth material not aggravate his healing skin…but actually seemed to cool and relieve the maddening itch that the newly formed scars created. It provided a bit of a shield as he settled his worn, scarlet cloak carefully over tender shoulders. Although this garment's thick material was soft…it did have a tendency to itch even on it's best days. With the hot humid environment around the Ancient Temple he found himself thinking that even his iron will would be hard pressed to keep him from twitching and scratching before this day was done.

Well…there was nothing to be done for that. The cloak helped him deal with the day to day stress of being close to the others. It gave him somewhat of a retreat when his stability became fragile. Although their support during his recuperation had greatly eased some of his "reluctance" to being touched…having the layers between him and them served as a shield, this not only kept him a little more comfortable mentally, it kept his companions a great deal safer from the monster that he was. Having the material as a buffer between him and an accidental touch during battle gave him a split second to recognize friend from foe before he struck out of instinct…a reaction that could be very difficult to control when his demons were riding him hard.

Putting on the complicated holster that carried his guns was another ritual that went a long way towards helping him feel more like himself. Being without them had gnawed at his mind during his convalescence….of course…after having almost blown Highwind's head off he did understand WHY the Captain had disarmed him. Still…It was as if pieces of his fragmented soul clicked back into place as each gun was almost lovingly settled into its familiar position on his body. The weapons were an essential part of his armor. The only time in his adult life that he could remember not being armed was his time spent in the company of Hojo. Because of this… having at least one fire arm on his person at all times had become a bit of an obsession since awakening from his long sleep. The first thing he had done upon agreeing to come with this rag tag group was to arm himself. In his mind, there was not such thing as overkill. Without realizing it, as the last gun slid into place, the ex-Turks posture changed and his steps became more confidant. A predator's lethal grace returned to his movements as Vincent carefully gathered up what remained of his personal items in the room.

The gunman hesitated before picking up the last item. Highwind had given him the forearm long, elegant feather when his mind had cleared, saying that it had been entrapped in his cloak. He had been blind still, his eyes protected under layers of soft wrap and the thing's unusual cool, metallic yet still soft feel had thoroughly confused him. Especially when, at the Captain's bidding, he had tapped it with his own golden talons. The sweet ringing chime this created had brought unbidden tears to his eyes and an echoing pain in his heart that he suspected was not "his". While this singular item was lovely, he did not understand why its presence would so sadden the creature he Hosted. Chaos… when questioned …confirmed that yes…it was a young dragon's flight feather. How it had gotten attached to his cloak the demon could or would not answer and Vincent could not remember seeing anything resembling a hatchling dragon on that beach.

Oh well… it was a mystery that he did not have the time or energy to solve. He tapped the feather again…listening to that soft sweet tone…then carefully set it down on the Captain's pillow. It would mean more to the flyer than to him. One thing he had learned about the man in this small time was that Highwind had a sneaking, well hidden appreciation for beautiful things. Maybe the man would accept it as a small apology for his not saying anything about his intention to join the mission today. Vincent made one last turn…doing a final check. And delaying his departure. He had felt "safe" here…it was a feeling that he would cherish for a long time and a part of his heart would always long to be here. Still…this feeling was a false sense of security brought on by his injuries and Cid's care…the real world bore no resemblance to it. That small part of his soul that had been "happy" here would remain locked behind walls of steel until it faded away…that is just the way it had to be. With a small shake…the gunman strode to the door opened it and slid through. He would leave all of this fantasy here…in a place where a monster such as himself surely did not belong. With a soft and final click…Vincent shut the door and walked away.

* * *

Highwind was not surprised that Cloud was present in the ready room where their company gathered to depart. He WAS surprised to see the dark form of Vincent also there engaged in a quiet conversation with their leader. Crimson glanced his way and the gunman stepped away from the swordsman… and moving to an out of the way corner started easing through a slow routine designed to loosen and warm up stiff muscles.

Cid watched the gunman's careful movements and unconsciously bit down on his smoke

Without a thought, the Captain grabbed Cloud by the shoulder and roughly propelled their surprised leader out of the room. He did not bother to keep his voice down as he made it quite clear what he thought about how the ex-Turk was pushing it. And Cloud… that usually laid back son of a bitch got right back in his face and made it quite clear that….although sharing his concern… he was loathe to not have the gunman's singular skills along with them. The swordsman smiled apologetically at the older man when Highwind gave him his unadulterated opinion of this. The ex-Soldier's powerful grip on his shoulder stopped the Captain mid tirade…

"Suck it up Highwind…even with Valentine not at one hundred percent…we NEED him. Besides, it is not as if any of us can STOP the man if he truly insists upon tagging along."

Cid just about swallowed his cigarette as just for a moment the erotic vision of Vincent, tied and handcuffed to the bed, dark satin hair spread over the pillows, beautiful body stripped naked….over road his thinking brain. Hard on its heels was the memory of the jagged scars that cut deep into that same smooth, porcelain flesh…and his intense desire was wiped away with the sudden need to vomit!

The pilot abruptly turned away from Strife's suddenly concerned gaze without another word. He lit a smoke with hands that had developed a slight tremor and drew the soothing nicotine into tight lungs. Mother Gia…what the hell was wrong with him?! He would kill himself before he EVER put Vince into that kind of situation. He seriously doubted that the gunman would find any part of being constrained…erotic.

Cid felt Cloud rest a gentle hand on his back as they went back through the door. His voice was unintentionally harsh as he shrugged it off and roughly responded without looking at their leader.

His…"Get em ready Cloud….lets fricken get this over with!" …got a couple of surprised looks from the rest of the crew except for the gaze that meant the most to him. Highwind winced and felt a cold chill run up his spine…there was no way with the ex-Turk's enhanced hearing he had NOT heard the heated exchange that had gone on behind the closed door. AND there was no question as to what the intensely private man thought of him sticking his nose in where it did not belong. The look that rested briefly on him as Valentine took up his customary rear guard position had no warmth in it at all. It was nothing more than the cool, professional look of a stone cold killer.

* * *

YES...this was a little short but it was needed to wrap up this little bit. This story spans FFVII. Advents Children and DoC so I will be bouncing forward a bit. Hope to have the next installment up quickly. thank you for your patience and your reviews and comments would be very much apprectiated!


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